Alexandria Transit Company Board of Directors Meeting

Wednesday, December 11th, 2019 5:30 p.m. Alexandria City Hall, 301 King Street Meeting Agenda

ITEM DESCRIPTION PAGE # PRESENTER

#1 Public Comment N/A All Special Recognition – Chairman will present a special Board Member Recognition and Resolution Chairman Kaplan

#2 Consideration of Meeting Minutes Approval a) November 13, 2019 2-4 All #3 Board Member Announcements & Presentations a) Chairman’s Report Chairman Kaplan N/A b) T&ES Directors Report Board Members c) Any Others

#4 General Manager’s Report a) Management Report b) Performance Report 5-11 Mr. Baker c) Operating Report d) GM’s Summary Report

#5 Financial Report a) October Financial Update b) October Balance Sheet 12-16 Mr. Davis c) October Summary Income Statement d) October Budget vs. Actual (BVA)

#6 New Business a) General Managers FY21 Proposed Budget 17-21 Baker/Davis b) ATV Network Final Report and Recommendations 22-31 Baker/Barna #7 Next Meeting Date & Adjournment The next regular meeting will take place Wednesday, January 8th, 2019 at 5:30 p.m., 32 All Alexandria City Hall, Council Workroom 2nd Floor.

ATC Board Agenda Detail Agenda Item #: 2 Item Title: Meeting Minutes Contact: Fatima Ahmed, Clerk to the Board Attachments: None Customer Impact: None Board Action: Consideration of Approval

Alexandria Transit Company (ATC) BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 23, 2019

A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Alexandria Transit Company was held on Wednesday, November 13th, 2019 at the Alexandria City Hall Council Chambers, 301 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Board members present were David Kaplan, Kerry Donley, Ian Greaves, Matt Harris, Jim Kapsis, Steve Klejst and Yon Lambert. Richard Lawrence was excused from attending.

Staff members and visitors attending were: Josh Baker, Raymond Mui, Fatima Ahmed, Martin Barna, Evan Davis, Whitney Code, Diana Conteras, Tristan Cunningham, Jim Maslanka, Alicia Wright, Lisa Henty, Steve Sindiong, Ashley Labadie and Karen Levy.

There were 54 visitors/guest speakers present.

The board holds meetings every second Wednesday from September to June and all are welcome to attend.

Board Meeting The Chairman called the meeting to order at 5:37 pm, followed by round table introductions. Agenda Item #1– Alexandria Transit Vision Plan Public Hearing (5:46 pm) #1a – ATV Update and Presentation Martin Barna, Director of Planning presented the draft recommendation of the network. • The ATV Project Team is seeking final input from the Board on investment levels and route decisions so that the final ATV Network design can be presented to the Board in December o The Board provided the following guidance for the ATV, relating to the Seminary/Janneys Alternative: • To look at the AT2 direct impact, the AT2 segment needs to be resolved and the intent is to minimize fiscal impacts to any extent possible. • Determine the service that needs to be removed (i.e. other regular routes) or provide specific cost to retain similar service to the existing AT2 • There are activity centers that are impacted by the AT2 and the Board desires to ensure some level of service as opposed to none.

#1b – Public Hearing (6:32 pm) The Chairman called 27 speakers whom all provided comments and feedback on the draft recommendation. Any remaining speakers desiring to speak were offered opportunity to do so.

#1c – Public Comment for Non-ATV-Matters (7:56 pm) There was no public comment • A Motion by Kerry Donley with Second by Matt Harris was made to close the public comment period. o The motion carried unanimously

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Agenda Item #6a – ATV Final Report Guidance, Budget Scenarios and Consideration Discussion The Chairman of the Board called Evan Davis, Director of Finance & Administration to present the FY2021 Budget Supplemental & Reduction Scenarios. • The service levels and net subsidy impact for 4% and 8% growth was discussed with the Board and feedback was solicited. Following extensive discussion, the Board issued direction to staff to return with final recommendations at the December meeting. Further, such recommendations must include the replacement for the AT2 service segment or provide alternatives for maintaining the service in a cost neutral manner. • Mr. Davis presented the following information pertaining to budget Reduction Options in alignment with the direction of the City Manager to present 2.5% reduction scenarios • Following the presentation by Mr. Davis, the Board issued guidance that staff to focus on option #2 with the least service cuts and to implement exterior bus advertising . Specific instructions were presented for Mr. Davis to return with specific fiscal amounts attached to each scenario . Further discussion was carried pertaining to exterior bus advertising on DASH, following this the Board provided direction to the General Manager to further explore bus advertising and return with a proposed advertising program at a future date irrespective of any direction in the budget process. • Following presentation by Mr. Davis of supplemental budget proposals, the following guidance was provided: • Priority shall be applied to state of good repair (capital) projects above those of the ATV or any other priorities.

Agenda Item #2 – Consideration of Meeting Minutes Approval (9:01 pm) Approval of Minutes: • A Motion by Yon Lambert with Second by Matt Harris was made to approve the minutes of the prior meeting as amended, changing the executive session and adjournment time to 7:55pm and 8:05pm respectively. o The motion carried unanimously

Agenda Item #3 – Reports, Updates and Other Business Item #3a – Chairman’s Report (9:03pm) • The chairman recognized Meredith MacNab and Robert MacNab who were present, announcing Meredith MacNab has resigned from the Board, and that further Ms. MacNab will be recognized at the December Board Meeting. • The chairman reported that 1 application has been received for the board vacancy, with 3 other applicants expressing interest in the position. Further, he encouraged anyone present who may have an interest in serving to contact Fatima Ahmed to submit an application. o The Chairman asked the Secretary to send the announcement to the Board members so that they can share it on their social media. Further, he asked that staff re-advertise the position.

Item #3b –T&ES Directors Report (9:09 pm) Yon Lambert provided a brief review of his written report, which was shared with the board in advance. There was no further discussion.

Staff Reports Agenda Item #4 – General Manager’s Report (9:10 pm) Josh Baker provided a brief review of his written report, which was shared with the board in advance. There was no further discussion.

Agenda Item #5 - Financial Report (9:12 pm) Evan Davis provided a brief review of his written report, which was shared with the board in advance. There was no further discussion.

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Agenda Item #6a– ATV Final Report Guidance, Budget Scenarios and Considerations Discussion Noted above.

Agenda Item #6b – First Transit Safety & Security Manager Contract (9:16 pm) In response to the previous meetings concerns and questions, the General Manager provided written answers and briefly discussed the following key points: • Description of Position and the justification of purpose • Impacts on the budget, assessment of budget implication • Implication of Federal Funding, if any. Could this position participate? • Accountability relationship and the reporting of this position • Compare the contract extension for First Transit against the current contract/budget

Kerry Donley moved for approval of this contract with Second by Yon Lambert. o The motion carried unanimously

Agenda Item #6c – General Managers Customer Advisory Committees (9:31 pm) The General Manager presented a proposed resolution by the Board to support and adopt the formation of Customer Advisory Committee(s). The resolution was discussed as included in the packet. • A Motion by Yon Lambert with Second by Steven Klejst was offered to adopt the resolution as written in the Board packet. o The motion carried unanimously The Chairman expressed appreciation to the General Manager for reflecting the input from the Board and for pursuing this important advocacy project.

Agenda Item #8 – Next Meeting Date & Adjournment (9:45 pm) • Adjournment at 9:45 pm: A Motion was offered by Kerry Donley with Second by Yon Lambert to adjourn the meeting. o The motion was carried unanimously.

The next regular monthly meeting of the Alexandria Transit Company Board of Directors is December 11th, 2019 at 5:30 pm in the City Council Workroom, 301 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

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ATC Board Agenda Detail Agenda Item #: 4 Item Title: DASH General Manager’s Report Contact: Josh Baker, General Manager Attachments: None Customer Impact: None Board Action: None/FYI

4a Summary: Management Report

FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2019

A. RIDERSHIP: Total system ridership for the month decreased by 5.9% from last October, with 344,003 total passengers. Without the King Street Trolley, total ridership decreased by 5.8% from last October, with 280,006 passengers.

October Total Average Daily October KST - Average Daily Ridership Boardings (Excluding Trolley) 3,500

14,000 3,000 12,000 2,500 10,000 2,000 8,000 1,500

6,000 Boardings Boardings 1,000 4,000

2,000 500

0 0 Weekday Saturday Sunday Weekday Saturday Sunday 2018 12,148 4,034 2,475 2018 1,978 3,007 2,400 2019 11,510 3,405 2,443 2019 1,852 3,016 2,042 % Change -5.3% -15.6% -1.3% % Change -6.3% 0.3% -14.9%

B. SAFETY:

DASH experienced no preventable accidents during the month of October.

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4b Summary: Performance Report (System-Wide Ridership October 2019)

DASH Monthly Systemwide Ridership (FY2017-FY2020) 400,000 Major Service Disruption Event * (Safetrack, Govt Shutdown, etc) 350,000 * 300,000 * * * * * * 250,000 * *

200,000 4 MetrorailStations

150,000 Total Monthly Riders

100,000 Boardings at

50,000

0 Avg. Annual July August September October November December January February March April May June Metrorail* FY 2017 348,122 371,835 348,970 350,114 313,472 291,037 280,540 280,794 324,205 330,559 345,453 364,610 340,820 FY 2018 325,942 357,728 343,427 351,203 303,908 278,813 273,943 267,675 310,961 341,527 360,382 357,979 290,400 FY 2019 346,394 353,415 322,539 365,467 289,396 271,346 262,046 258,820 313,090 334,752 339,569 308,225 296,940 FY 2020 308,774 299,515 315,275 344,003

*Metrorail ridership (green columns) represents average daily total boarding’s at the City's four Metrorail Stations for FY15-17. **Totals were multiplied by 20 for comparison of DASH monthly data vs. Metrorail.

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4b Summary: Performance Report (Free Student Rides Program Ridership) Average Weekday "Free Student Rides" Program Boardings (FY2017-2020) 1,600

1,400

1,200

1,000

800

600 AVERAGE WEEKDAY BOARDINGS 400

200

- September October November December January February March April May June

2017-2018 (TCWHS Only) 2018-2019 (TCWHS, BIHS, EHS, SSSAS) 2019-2020 (TCW, BIHS, EHS, SSSAS, Fusion)

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4b Summary: Performance Report (DOT Program Boarding by Month October 2019)

DASH DOT/MetroAccess Free Boardings (FY2017-2020) 4,500

4,000

3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500 TOTAL BOARDINGS PER MONTH

1,000

500

0 September October November December January February March April May June

FY18 FY19 FY20

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4c Summary: Operating Report (Operating Report October 2019)

CURRENT YEAR CURRENT YEAR PERCENT (OCTOBER 2018) (OCTOBER 2019) CHANGE RIDERSHIP Total Monthly Passengers 365,467 344,003 -5.9% Total Monthly Passengers (Excl.Trolley) 297,327 280,006 -5.8% Passengers / Revenue Mile 2.3 2.0 -14.9% Passengers / Revenue Hour 25.1 21.9 -12.7%

SERVICE LEVELS Total Miles 178,228 194,143 8.9% Revenue Miles 161,500 175,687 8.8%

SAFETY Accidents - Total 1 0 -100.0% Accidents - Preventable 0 0 0.0%

FARES Average Fare $1.14 $1.21 6.6% ATC DASH Pass 24,203 23,755 -1.9% "Free Student Rides" Program 32,553 30,237 -7.1% Regional Bus Transfers 20,897 18,138 -13.2% Rail-Bus Transfers 39,037 30,929 -20.8% % Paid by SmarTrip 80.9% 76.1% -5.9%

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE Operating Expense / Total Mile $8.08 $9.62 19.1% Operating Expense / Total Platform Hour $73.51 $92.46 25.8% Total Revenue / Operating Expense Ratio 33.6% 30.2% -10.3%

SERVICE RELIABILITY October 2018 October 2019 % Change On-Time Performance 81.1% 87.6% 6.5% Missed Trip Percent 0.03% 0.04% 0.01% Avg. Miles Per Road Call 16,150 15,972 -1.1% Compliments per 100K pas. 0.64 1.71 167.2%

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ATC Board Agenda Detail Agenda Item #: 4e Item Title: DASH General Manager’s Summary Contact: Josh Baker, General Manager Attachments: CTE Zero Emissions Bus Feasibility Study Customer Impact: None Board Action: None/FYI

4e Summary: General Manager’s Report

Electric Bus Program Updates As a part of DASH’s ongoing commitment to a transition to a fully electric bus fleet, staff have been actively working on projects and updates. Some key activities are as follows: • The first order of Electric Buses is on track due for delivery late Summer/Early Fall 2020. As a part of this process staff have been working with manufacturers on production and infrastructure implementation. • The Feasibility study conducted by the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) draft was presented to staff in November, with the final report included as an attachment to this packet. • DASH Staff have updated the Environmental Policy Commission (EPC) on the project and 2027 Capital Plan for a 100% Electric Bus Purchase plan as directed by the ATC Board. Fielding questions from the EPC, the General Manager is working on a follow-up letter and visit to update the commission on the findings of the CTE Report, the process for the next step (Implementation Plan) and the assessment of Electric Bus Operating Costs. • At the January Board Meeting staff will present findings to the Board and further discuss the Feasibility Study, Implementation Plan and internal research results. o In advance of that meeting, the CTE report is included in this Board Packet however discussion is deferred until January

DASH Zero Emissions Bus Project Timeline

Winter Summer Fiscal Year Fiscal Year 2019 2020 2021 2023 -ZEB Feasibility Study -First 6 Battery Electric -Design/Engineering of -Addition of 8 Battery Completed Buses Launched in DASH Facility Electric Buses -Procurement for ZEB Service Expansion and Implementation Plan Electrification Infrastructure

-Start of ZEB Implementation Plan -Construction of Study -Completion of ZEB DASH Facility -First 6 Depot Chargers Implementation Plan Expansion and -Addition of 12 Battery Installed Study Electrification Electric Buses Spring Fall Fiscal Year Fiscal Year 2020 2020 2022 2025

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DASH Talks with Senior Living in Alexandria On November 4th, DASH Director of Planning Martin Barna sat down with Senior Services of Alexandria host Jim Roberts to discuss the advantages of the Alexandria Transit Vision Plan for residents of the City of Alexandria. Martin Barna also provided an overview of DASH projects and initiatives during the Senior Speaker Series hosted by Senior Services of Alexandria on November 14th. The series welcomes local experts on various topics to provide up-to-date, accurate information to Alexandria’s Seniors.

Virginia Transit Association’s (VTA) Transit Impact, Benefits and Facts DASH has been working in partnership with the Virginia Transit Association (General Manager serves as Secretary) for features on the impacts of Transit in the Commonwealth. DASH has been featured in VTA’s Transit Profiles along with 27 other local transit agencies. The profiles is provided for the Board’s reference and will be utilized in the upcoming Legislative Sessions in Richmond while advocating for the importance of transit funding.

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ATC Board Agenda Detail Agenda Item #: 5a Item Title: Financial Update Contact: Evan Davis, Director of Finance & Administration Attachments: None Customer Impact: None Board Action: None/FYI

Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) Financial Report For the Three Months Ended October 31, 2019

October Results – Budget vs. Actual Report In October, ATC experienced a monthly deficit of ($229,826). During the month, the Company incurred expenditures for equipment investments which will later be moved to the I-395 Commuter Choice grant and bus replacement capital project. Once these exceptions are considered ATC ran a small surplus of $28,589 for the month.

Significant variances and notable accounts in October include:

• Passenger revenue remained on target for the second consecutive month, slightly exceeding the monthly budget.

• Miscellaneous revenue includes a state grant reimbursement of some prior year mitigation expenses incurred during the Platform Improvement Project. The negative expense in Admin Professional Services is due to current year costs being moved the state PIP grant. In total, $202,962 in additional PIP mitigation costs was absorbed by the state grant in October.

• Operations personnel budget overages reflect the AT-1 and AT-9 service improvements already in operation. However, the I-395 Commuter Choice grant is still being appropriated and allocated internally. Once this is completed, these costs will be transferred to the grant.

• Vehicle maintenance service is showing a negative expense due to diagnostic costs approved for reimbursement on the hybrid powertrain grant. This is a positive development which should limit further outside maintenance costs for the remainder of FY20.

• Building maintenance costs exceeded the monthly target due to fuel system equipment failures and necessary repairs/replacements.

• Advertising includes the last remaining advertising costs stemming from the Blue Line Shuttle operation and introduction of the DASH Bus mobile app. These costs were moved to the State provided PIP grant in November.

FY 2020 Projection We currently project a budget surplus of $652,679 for FY20. This projection is becoming clearer by the day as the key variations for FY20 stabilize.

As previously discussed, following any reimbursements due to the City for previous fiscal year shortfalls, the GM will utilize remaining surplus to invest in deferred capital equipment repairs and replacements.

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State Grant for DCU (Driver Control Unit)/Logic Board Replacement Background: The regional “SmarTrip” system was implemented in 2001 and at the time was one of the most advanced systems in the industry. The system utilizes parts and equipment from multiple different vendors dependent upon where it interacts with customers (Rail passenger gates, Reload machines, Bus Fareboxes, etc). Over time one of the manufacturers of a critical component which reads the cards went out of business, taking the manufacturing rights, knowledge and technology with them. As a result, there are a finite number of boards and equipment available to support our fareboxes today. Until an entirely new system can be developed, this severely limits DASH’s ability to collect fare revenues when parts are unavailable.

WMATA has worked to find a short-term solution which involves new DCU’s adapted to the older technology. There is a cost associated with this equipment, however in working with DRPT in Richmond we have found an opportunity to utilize a state grant which will cover 68% of the cost of replacing Driver Control Units (DCU’s) in the entire DASH fleet.

ATC had intended to purchase DCU upgrades in FY22 using funding from the City’s CIP. However, considering the new opportunity to reduce these costs to the City, the General Manager has instructed staff to secure these additional funds and identify a source of the 32% local match requirement within current budget authority.

Because the state grant expires at the end of FY20, expediency is a concern. Staff are pursuing the purchase of this equipment immediately, thusly taking advantage of approximately $491,000 in state grant funding not previously available. ATC can use its FY20 surplus to absorb the roughly $304,000 in local costs, consisting of $231,000 in local match and $73,000 in other parts. This will save over $795,000 in future capital expenses, as well as accomplishing a full upgrade of the DASH fleet much earlier than originally anticipated.

Year End Impact In October, it was noted that our goal has been to end the year with a positive cash balance. After further discussions with City Finance leadership, it has been agreed that the opportunity to realize the savings made possible by the DCU replacement grant outweighs this goal. It remains the goal to achieve a positive cash balance at year end by the conclusion of Fiscal Year 2021. It is still anticipated that ATC will remain in a small FY20 year-end budget surplus even after making the DCU investment noted above.

Although the Company’s cash balance with the City may be negative at year end, there will be over half a million dollars in accounts receivable and prepaid expenditures on the books. In other words, the Company’s balance sheet as a part of the City of Alexandria’s Budget will be sound.

Passenger Revenue Update DASH Bus Mobile App We are projecting an average fare for FY20 (excluding free student rides) of $1.43, up 14 cents from $1.29 for Revenue FY19. This is a result of the base fare increase from $9,000 $8,041 $1.75 to $2.00. $8,000 $7,000 $6,363 The DASH Mobile app revenue has increased steadily $6,000 each month in FY20, with over $8,000 in October $5,000 $4,302 $3,501 (accounting for 2.5% of total passenger revenue). We $4,000 are extremely pleased with the growth since the app’s $3,000 $2,000 1225 1547 1532 launch in late May and are proud to be the pioneering 1019 $1,000 system in the region to roll out a Mobile option for our $- riders. We look to add momentum soon with additional July August September October regional fare products and future full Smart Benefits integration. Revenue Active Users

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ATC Board Agenda Detail Agenda Item #: 5b Item Title: Balance Sheet Contact: Evan Davis, Director of Finance & Administration Attachments: None Customer Impact: None Board Action: None/FYI

ALEXANDRIA TRANSIT COMPANY Balance Sheet as of October 31, 2019

ASSETS Cash - City of Alexandria Pooled $ - Cash - Payroll Account 697,214 Receivables 529,146 Prepaid Expenditures 425,971 Parts and Supplies Inventory 682,145 Capital Assets 56,574,240 Less: Accumulated Depreciation (25,453,160) TOTAL ASSETS $ 33,455,556

LIABILITIES Accounts Payable $ 288,626 Payroll Liabilities 47,561 Accrued Vacation 771,773 Due to Other Funds (Negative Cash Position) 638,780 Total Liabilities $ 1,746,740

NET POSITION Net Investment in Capital Assets $ 31,121,080 Unrestricted 587,736 Total Net Position $ 31,708,816

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET POSITION $ 33,455,556

This statement is unaudited and prepared for the sole use of management and the

Board of Directors of ATC.

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ATC Board Agenda Detail Agenda Item #: 5c Item Title: Summary Income Statement Contact: Evan Davis, Director of Finance & Administration Attachments: None Customer Impact: None Board Action: None/FYI

ALEXANDRIA TRANSIT COMPANY Summary Income Statement for the Four Months Ended October 31, 2019

Actual Budget Variance REVENUES: City Contribution - King Street Trolley 332,432 332,432 - DASH Passenger Revenue 1,202,591 1,269,276 (66,685) DASH AT2X Mark Center Charter 269,748 269,748 - DASH Other Charter Revenue 3,372,339 50,776 3,321,563 Miscellaneous Revenue 80,724 20,000 60,724 Total Operating Revenue 5,257,834 1,942,232 3,315,602

City Contribution - Regular Subsidy 5,331,664 5,331,664 - Total Revenue 10,589,498 7,273,896 3,315,602

EXPENDITURES: Operations 5,765,289 4,243,172 (1,522,117) Maintenance 2,096,364 1,630,956 (465,408) Administration 1,352,989 1,344,780 (8,209) Capital Outlay 318,528 54,988 (263,540) Total Expenditures 9,533,170 7,273,896 (2,259,274)

GRANT ACTIVITY: State Grants - - - Local Match on State Grants - - - Grant Expenditures - - - Total Grant Activity - - -

Net Surplus (Deficit) 1,056,328 - 1,056,328

This statement is unaudited and prepared for the sole use of management and the Board

of Directors of ATC.

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ATC Board Agenda Detail Agenda Item #: 5d Item Title: Budget vs. Actual Report Contact: Evan Davis, Director of Finance & Administration Attachments: None Customer Impact: None Board Action: None/FYI

Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) Budget vs. Actual Report for the Four Months Ended October 31, 2019

FY2020 Projected FY2020 Annual Year End Description CM Actual CM Budget Variance YTD Actual YTD Budget Variance Projected Budget Variance REVENUE City Contribution - King Street Trolley 83,108 83,108 - 332,432 332,432 - 997,293 997,293 - DASH Passenger Revenue 332,897 317,319 15,578 1,202,591 1,269,276 (66,685) 3,780,302 3,807,832 (27,530) DASH AT2X Mark Center Charter 67,437 67,437 - 269,748 269,748 - 809,241 809,241 - DASH Other Charter Revenue 3,832 12,694 (8,862) 3,372,339 50,776 3,321,563 3,403,889 152,329 3,251,560 Miscellaneous Revenue 76,084 5,000 71,084 80,724 20,000 60,724 141,175 60,000 81,175 TOTAL OPERATING REVENUE 563,358 485,558 77,800 5,257,834 1,942,232 3,315,602 9,131,900 5,826,695 3,305,205

City Contribution - Regular Subsidy 1,332,916 1,332,916 - 5,331,664 5,331,664 - 15,994,985 15,994,985 - TOTAL REVENUE 1,896,274 1,818,474 77,800 10,589,498 7,273,896 3,315,602 25,126,885 21,821,680 3,305,205

OPERATING EXPENDITURES

OPERATIONS Wages - O 931,641 796,042 (135,599) 4,481,238 3,184,168 (1,297,070) 11,283,738 9,552,473 (1,731,265) Fringe Benefits - O 139,246 127,654 (11,592) 549,138 510,616 (38,522) 1,824,293 1,531,850 (292,443) Payroll Taxes - O 70,135 63,167 (6,968) 362,585 252,668 (109,917) 895,586 758,000 (137,586) Retirement Contributions - O 66,114 66,000 (114) 296,105 264,000 (32,105) 789,505 792,000 2,495 Total Operations Labor 1,207,136 1,052,863 (154,273) 5,689,066 4,211,452 (1,477,614) 14,793,122 12,634,323 (2,158,799)

Operator Recruitment and Training 2,120 4,833 2,713 12,563 19,332 6,769 36,563 58,000 21,437 Operating Materials and Supplies 2,756 1,709 (1,047) 57,731 6,836 (50,895) 77,731 20,500 (57,231) Training and Travel - O 2,898 1,388 (1,510) 5,929 5,552 (377) 16,929 16,650 (279)

TOTAL OPERATIONS EXPENDITURES 1,214,910 1,060,793 (154,117) 5,765,289 4,243,172 (1,522,117) 14,924,345 12,729,473 (2,194,872)

MAINTENANCE Wages - M 167,864 172,333 4,469 658,617 689,332 30,715 2,142,420 2,068,000 (74,420) Fringe Benefits - M 23,199 26,833 3,634 99,554 107,332 7,778 290,948 322,000 31,052 Payroll Taxes - M 12,627 13,250 623 49,548 53,000 3,452 163,059 159,000 (4,059) Retirement Contributions - M 12,718 13,750 1,032 47,397 55,000 7,603 166,101 165,000 (1,101) Total Maintenance Labor 216,408 226,166 9,758 855,116 904,664 49,548 2,762,528 2,714,000 (48,528)

Fuel & Lubricants 97,040 102,375 5,335 571,798 409,500 (162,298) 1,388,947 1,228,500 (160,447) Repair Parts 45,473 39,167 (6,306) 267,998 156,668 (111,330) 512,998 470,000 (42,998) Tires 16,086 8,750 (7,336) 61,876 35,000 (26,876) 145,877 105,000 (40,877) Vehicle Maintenance Service (29,040) 5,833 34,873 165,034 23,332 (141,702) 204,785 70,000 (134,785) Laundry 2,384 2,500 116 10,243 10,000 (243) 33,630 30,000 (3,630) Tools and Equipment 5,500 1,250 (4,250) 7,069 5,000 (2,069) 13,882 15,000 1,118 Building Maintenance 51,937 21,115 (30,822) 149,127 84,460 (64,667) 304,123 253,400 (50,723) Training and Travel - M 641 583 (58) 8,103 2,332 (5,771) 8,103 7,000 (1,103) TOTAL MAINTENANCE EXPENDITURES 406,429 407,739 1,310 2,096,364 1,630,956 (465,408) 5,374,873 4,892,900 (481,973)

ADMINISTRATION Wages - A 129,447 130,967 1,520 439,030 523,868 84,838 1,535,947 1,571,600 35,653 Fringe Benefits - A 16,585 15,561 (1,024) 66,954 62,244 (4,710) 186,329 186,745 416 Payroll Taxes - A 9,535 10,167 632 33,141 40,668 7,527 117,056 122,000 4,944 Retirement Contributions - A 9,068 9,459 391 33,422 37,836 4,414 121,177 113,500 (7,677) Total Administrative Labor 164,635 166,154 1,519 572,547 664,616 92,069 1,960,509 1,993,845 33,336

Insurance 57,624 57,667 43 235,325 230,668 (4,657) 692,000 692,000 - Professional Services (24,176) 63,312 87,488 326,522 253,248 (73,274) 726,938 759,740 32,802 Utilities 16,104 24,741 8,637 70,882 98,964 28,082 246,884 296,900 50,016 Printing & Advertising 11,405 5,500 (5,905) 56,755 22,000 (34,755) 51,755 66,000 14,245 Telecommunications 7,885 5,833 (2,052) 31,930 23,332 (8,598) 95,791 70,000 (25,791) Training, Travel, Events - A 8,026 3,501 (4,525) 29,851 14,004 (15,847) 54,520 42,000 (12,520) Postage and Office Supplies 3,937 2,220 (1,717) 25,145 8,880 (16,265) 33,734 26,620 (7,114) Dues and Subscriptions 906 1,246 340 4,032 4,984 952 15,492 14,950 (542) Grant Local Match - 6,021 6,021 - 24,084 24,084 72,252 72,252 - TOTAL ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURES 246,346 336,195 89,849 1,352,989 1,344,780 (8,209) 3,949,875 4,034,307 84,432

TOTAL OPERATING EXPENDITURES 1,867,685 1,804,727 (62,958) 9,214,642 7,218,908 (1,995,734) 24,249,093 21,656,680 (2,592,413)

CAPITAL OUTLAYS (non-CIP) Computer and Office Equipment - 2,084 2,084 - 8,336 8,336 25,000 25,000 - Maintenance Equipment 258,415 11,663 (246,752) 318,528 46,652 (271,876) 200,114 140,000 (60,114) Other Equipment Investments ------TOTAL CAPITAL OUTLAYS (non-CIP) 258,415 13,747 (244,668) 318,528 54,988 (263,540) 225,114 165,000 (60,114)

NET SURPLUS (DEFICIT) (229,826) - (229,826) 1,056,328 - 1,056,328 652,679 - 652,679

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ATC Board Agenda Detail Agenda Item #: 6 Item Title: New Business Contacts: Josh Baker, General Manager Attachments: ATV Attachments I, II, III Customer Impact: 6a) Significant  6b) Significant  Board Actions: 6a) Consideration of Approval; 6b) Consideration of Approval

6a) General Managers FY21 Proposed Budget In accordance with the Budget Schedule for ATC, the General Managers Proposed budget is presented below.

The following are highlights of the budget as presented: The FY21 Proposed Operating Budget for current DASH service, inclusive of year over year regular increases and maintaining current staffing levels, represents a 6.6% increase over FY 2020.

EXPENDITURES FY 2021 Budget FY 2020 Budget Change % Change

Personnel 18,326,200 78.8% 17,342,168 79.5% 984,032 5.7% Non-Personnel 4,750,000 20.4% 4,314,512 19.8% 435,488 10.1%

Capital Outlay 190,000 0.8% 165,000 0.8% 25,000 15.2%

TOTAL 23,266,200 21,821,680 1,444,520 6.6%

REVENUES FY 2021 Budget FY 2020 Budget Change % Change City Contribution Operating Revenue 17,256,497 74.2% 15,994,985 73.3% 1,261,512 7.9% City Contribution Trolley Revenue 1,037,185 4.5% 997,293 4.6% 39,892 4.0% DASH Passenger Revenue 4,024,000 17.3% 3,812,832 17.5% 211,168 5.5% DASH Transit Charter Fares 893,518 3.8% 961,570 4.4% (68,052) -7.1% Miscellaneous Revenue 55,000 0.2% 55,000 0.3% - 0.0%

TOTAL 23,266,200 21,821,680 1,444,520 6.6%

I-395 Commuter Choice Grant: The increases in this budget do not reflect grant revenues and project costs for service improvements on the AT-1 PLUS and AT-9 funded by the I-395 Commuter Choice Program. This is considered a separate grant project. The grants budget is just under $5 million in total over twenty (20) months, with $2.29 million allocated for FY20 and $2.7 million in FY21.

The current service increase Includes following: • 5.7% overall personnel increase, inclusive of: o Required step increases for all pay scale personnel, with an additional 1.5% increase in the entire scale for Bus Operators per the Collective Bargaining Agreement. o Expected benefit rate increases average 5% across all providers o Corresponding regular step (cost of living) increases for non pay-scale personnel

• 10.1% increase in non-personnel, reflects a forecasted increase for diesel fuel, repair parts, tires, and outside maintenance services.

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• $25,000 increase in capital outlay to maintain regular scheduled equipment replacement schedules inclusive of: o Heavy Duty maintenance equipment o Support equipment o IT equipment

CBA and Current Service Increases: It is noted that this current service budget increase request remains a proposal until the City Manager has presented his FY 2021 operating budget to City Council. Our current service request follows upon the roughly $3.8 million budget increase for FY20 due to cost increases required entirely as a result of the new CBA.

FY20 costs associated with the CBA were funded from one-time reserve sources. Therefore, both increases (CBA and FY21 current service), as well as the supplemental requests that follow, are subject to the City’s budget decision-making process for FY21.

A summary of subsidy changes from FY19 through those requested for FY21 follows:

DASH Subsidy Increase Detail from FY19 to FY21 Item Amount

FY20 Original Approved Subsidy (Regular DASH and King Street Trolley) $13,169,567 CBA Cost Adjustment for FY20 (paid from one-time sources in FY20, permanent sources must be determined for $3,822,711 FY21)

FY20 Actual Subsidy (Regular DASH and King Street Trolley) $16,992,278

FY21 Current Services Subsidy Increase $1,301,404

FY21 Proposed Subsidy (Regular DASH and King Street Trolley) $18,293,682

Total NEW Subsidy Funding Required for Current DASH Service $5,124,115

KEY IMPACT NOTICE: City Council must increase the DASH subsidy by over $5 million simply to maintain current DASH service. Should Council be unable or unwilling to fund these increases, significant cuts from existing service levels will be unavoidable.

Any ATV service increases in future years beyond today’s current service levels represent a separate and additional subsidy increase.

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Supplemental Requests and Reduction Options

BACKGROUND: Based on direction from the Board at its November meeting, staff have submitted the following supplemental requests and one reduction option through the City’s budget process.

SUPPLEMENTALS:

PRIORITY 1: STATE OF GOOD REPAIR CAPITAL REPLACEMENT ITEMS (SUPPLEMENTAL) FY21 Funding Request: $460,000

This request is for funding to address state of good repair capital items which support the operations of DASH and will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of services.

Capital Item Cost Need and Cost Details The doors to the DASH facility service lanes and bus parking area deployment lanes require replacement due to failures from age and ongoing costly maintenance and reliability issues. New roller doors Eight (8) Roller Bus will improve energy efficiency and maintain acceptable working Bay Doors 263,020 climates for maintenance employees. Supervisor vehicles are used to maintain DASH service, monitor service delivery, respond to incidents, move drivers between assignments, and serve as a working office. These vehicles see similar duty cycles to police vehicles (10-14 hours per day, 7 days per week). This request replaces three (3) vehicles at the end of their Supervisor Vehicle useful lives and funds one (1) expansion vehicle to meet growing Replacements (3) and service needs. Current service levels are not met with the existing Expansion (1) 197,000 fleet.

PRIORITY 2: BUS LIFT REPLACEMENT – FLOOD REPAIR (SUPPLEMENTAL) FY21 Funding Request: $1,300,000

This request is based on flood recovery and is anticipated to be reimbursed in the future through state disaster recovery funds. It would permanently replace ATC’s eight (8) in-ground bus lifts following damage from unprecedented flooding in July 2019. Repairs have been made to get the lifts minimally functioning on a temporary basis, but permanent replacements are necessary for safety and reliability purposes. The cost estimate is based on a vendor quotation.

PRIORITY 3: ALEXANDRIA TRANSIT VISION PLAN (SUPPLEMENTAL) FY21 Funding Request: -$0- Staff submitted a placeholder supplemental request in the case that a portion of ATV implementation would begin in FY21. Further discussion on why a partial FY21 implementation is not recommended is included in the ATV materials in this packet. Unless the Board would like to submit a FY21 partial implementation request, staff will withdraw this supplemental from consideration by the City.

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REDUCTIONS:

PRIORITY 1: ADVERTISING AND AT-4 SERVICE CUT (REDUCTION OPTION)

FY21 New Revenue: $250,000 [Advertising] FY21 Cost Savings: $170,000 [AT-4 Route Segment Cut] Total Subsidy Reduction: $420,000 (exceeds reduction target)

Like all other partner agencies, the City Manager has requested ATC to submit a 2.5% budget reduction option. By ranking this reduction option as its lowest priority, ATC is saying it would rather accept this reduction than forego any of the supplemental requests. In order to meet the requested 2.5% reduction option of $304,426, ATC proposes to:

1. Accept commercial advertising placements ($250,000 in revenue), and

2. Eliminate the segment of the AT-4 between Braddock Road Metro and City Hall which is duplicated by other routes – all customers may continue their trips via transfer at Braddock Road Metro ($170,000 in cost savings).

An initial review of potential advertising revenue, based the exterior bus rate card for Metrobus, suggests DASH can earn approximately $250,000 in its first year accepting ads. Potential revenue could be higher over time, but this is a conservative first-year estimate.

Advertising revenue is paired with the elimination of the AT-4 route segment between Braddock Road Metro and City Hall. While this is not the smallest possible service reduction, it has the least customer impact because affected customers could complete their trip with a transfer (to/from AT-2, AT-3, or AT-8). The elimination of this segment saves $170,000 in FY21.

AT-4 Segment Already Eliminated in ATV: As this route segment is already eliminated in the FY22 ATV phase, the savings would no longer be realized if that phase is implemented after FY21. In that case, to preserve the same amount of subsidy reduction, additional cuts to the new ATV network will be required or a higher amount of advertising revenue would need to be realized.

-- DETAIL BUDGET PROVIDED ON NEXT PAGE --

Board Action: Motion and Approval Next Steps: Approved Proposed Budget Request will be Submitted to the City Manager

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6b) ATV Network Final Report and Staff Recommendations The Alexandria Transit Vision (ATV) Plan seeks to redesign the City of Alexandria’s bus system to provide more useful transit service in places where more people can use it. Following extensive work throughout the past year and a half the final 2022 and 2030 network recommendations are outlined in this memorandum for consideration by the ATC Board of Directors.

The ATC Board is asked to consider the following: 1. Consider the staff recommendation for adopting the Final 2030 ATV Network Plan (20%) as presented; 2. Consider the staff recommendation for adopting the Final 2022 “Major Growth (8%)” ATV Network Plan; 3. Consider the staff recommendation regarding route “N12” as a supplemental to maintain service on the Seminary Road/Janneys Lane existing AT-2 Route Segment by adopting the aforementioned plans with the supplemental requirement of $400,000 to provide this service.

The four Final ATV network scenarios for 2030 and 2022 are outlined in Table 1 and the pages that follow. Supplemental Information is included for reference as follows: Attachment I: Full Network Maps and Charts Attachment II: Summary of public outreach and input received Attachment III: Letters and E-Mails to the Board

ATV Network Budget: • This memorandum provides high-level cost information for each of the four ATV networks. • All network scenarios have been identified in terms of growth in annual service hours (i.e. 0%, 4%, 8%, 20%).

In order to provide additional context for the Board to make its decisions, staff has reviewed each scenario to estimate the cost impact to the City of Alexandria’s current annual subsidies to DASH and WMATA.

In the 2022 scenarios, the increase to the DASH subsidy is greater than the growth in annual service hours. This is because new DASH service would be replacing existing WMATA service. The reduced number of WMATA service hours are assumed to allow the City’s WMATA subsidy to be reduced. This reduction is estimated as a range based on the current WMATA bus service levels and funding formulas, both of which are subject to change in FY 2021.

As a result, staff recommend that the Board consider the cost estimates included in this memorandum only for the purpose of understanding magnitude of fiscal impact (what it will take from City Council to proceed). The ATC Board is encouraged instead to focus more on the policy aspects of the Final ATV Network proposals and to evaluate their achievement of the overall goals and expectations of the project.

ATV Implementation Plan/Assumptions/Contingencies: If adopted any of these scenarios are adopted, the first phase of the 2022 ATV network changes are anticipated to be implemented through the FY 2022 ATC Transit Development Plan (TDP). Consequently, any progress on these implementations will be entirely dependent upon funding allocations approved through the City’s annual budget process.

If the board-adopted ATV scenario is not fully funded in FY 2022, staff intend implement the growth scenario that is the closest match to the available funds. If the FY 2022 subsidy is less than the cost of the “No Growth” scenario, staff do not recommend pursing any implementation until funds become available.

The long term 2030 ATV network implementation is anticipated to take place incrementally throughout the next decade, with annual adjustments and improvements dependent upon the ATC TDP/Budget process and the allocation of funding by City Council through the City’s Annual Budget processes.

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Table 1 – Summary of Final ATV Network Alternatives Summary of Final ATV Plan Alternatives Existing Network 2022 - Short-Term ATV Network Scenarios Goal Achievement Ratings Legend Exceptional FY2021 2030 ATV FY 2020 Substantial Improvement (Proposed Major Growth in Minor Growth in No Growth in (Existing Network (+20% Improvement Budget w/ Overall Service Overall Service Overall Service Average Service & WMATA + DASH) Current Poor Budget) Hours (8%) Hours (4%) Hours (0%) Services) Existing Bus Full long-term vision with Establishes all-day Establishes all-day Establishes all-day Representative Network & extensive frequent, all- frequent network with frequent network with frequent network, but does of the Existing Scenario Descriptions Proposed FY21 day network and major increases to some improvements to not improve upon existing Bus Network & Subsidy (Current elevated off-peak service evening and weekend existing evening and evening and weekend FY20 City Subsidy Services Only) levels service weekend service levels. service levels.

NETWORK GOALS & IMPACTS: (1) Frequent service all day long… (2) Consistent, simpler routes… (3) Better WEEKEND service levels… (4) Better WEEKDAY service levels… (5) Service where more people want to go…

FISCAL IMPACTS DASH Revenue Hours 220,386 220,386 263,212 253,506 245,595 236,094 Net Increase in Total DASH/WMATA Hours 19.7% 7.9% 4.3% 0.0% Estimated Increase of DASH Subsidy $3,000,000 $2,500,000 $1,700,000 $1,000,000 AT-2 Service Replacement $400,000 $400,000 $400,000 $400,000 Estimated Adjustment to WMATA Subsidy (1) + $5-7 million ($0.5-1.1 million) ($0.5-1.1 million) ($0.5-1.1 million) Total DASH Subsidy Required (2) $16,992,278 $18,293,682 $21,300,000 $20,800,000 $20,200,000 $19,300,000 Estimated Net Change in Cost to City - - $8.5-10 million $1.8-2.4 million $1.0-1.6 million $0.4-1.0 million

FLEET REQUIREMENTS DASH Peak Bus Requirement 70 70 75 70 70 70 Peak Trolley Requirement 5 5 7 7 7 7 Total Fleet Size Required (3) 90 90 98 92 92 92

STAFFING REQUIREMENTS DASH Operator Requirement 147 147 174 170 165 160

Notes: (1) Estimated changes to WMATA subsidy are based on FY20 WMATA bus network and FY20 regional funding formulas, which are both subject to change in FY21 and beyond. (2) "Total DASH Subsidy Required" provides FY20 budget, FY21 proposed budget (Current Service Only), and future 2022 and 2030 scenarios, which do not includes AT2 (separate line item) (3) Fleet requirements are based on current CIP and Fleet Replacement Plan with transition to 100% electric replacement buses by FY2027. If all future replacement buses are electric from now on, staff estimates that the 2030 fleet requirement would increase to 120 buses since about 15-20% of blocks would likely be too long for the battery range of one electric bus.

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The 2030 bus network that best reflects the long-term vision for 2030 ATV Network transit in the City of Alexandria was outlined in the “Draft Recommended Network” report. In recent weeks, the proposed 2030 (+20% Service) network has been refined based on public feedback, Board guidance, and additional staff review. Staff estimates that the final 2030 ATV Network would increase the DASH annual subsidy request by nearly $3.4 million by FY 2030 (in FY 2021 dollars). The annual WMATA subsidy from the City of Alexandria is projected to increase by $5-7 million.

Staff Recommendation Staff Highlights of the Final 2030 ATV Network include:  Creates a city-wide, high-frequency network with buses running every 15 minutes or better, all day, seven days per week in the West End, Landmark, Arlandria, Potomac Yard, and Old Town.  Provides access to frequent, all-day transit to 120,000 city residents, compared to 40,000 today.  89% of low-income residents would have access to frequent, all-day transit (vs. 29% today).  87% of minority residents would have access to frequent, all-day transit (vs. 22% today).  Maintains existing bus service in most areas to the extent that 99.5% of existing boardings are still within 1/8 mile of a stop in the proposed 2030 ATV network.  Significantly expands off-peak service, including a 51% increase in weekend service. All DASH routes would operate all day on weekends with buses coming every 15-30 minutes or better.

Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends that the Board of Directors should adopt the Final 2030 ATV Network inclusive of the supplemental cost of “N12” service on Seminary Road, which would increase the DASH subsidy by $3.4 million over the next decade.

2030 ATV Network (+20%)

All-Day Frequency

Consistency/Simplicity

Weekend Service

Weekday Service

Service in Busy Areas

Net +/- DASH Subsidy $3,400,000 Net +/- WMATA Subsidy + $5-7 million Net +/- Cost to City $8.5-10 million

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The Final 2022 ATV Network represents a substantial first 2022 ATV Network step towards the long-term 2030 vision for the future of transit in the City of Alexandria. Based on guidance from (Major Growth / +8%) the Board, the project team has prepared three scenarios for implementation by 2022. These three scenarios represent “Major Growth” (8%), “Minor Growth” (4%), and “No Growth” (0%) over current Alexandria Transit service levels. More information of the three 2022 scenarios is provided in Table 1 of this memorandum, while additional maps and tables that show the differences between the three scenarios are provided in Recommendation Attachment I.

Staff The 2022 “Major Growth” scenario is a major improvement to the existing bus network. It establishes the new frequent, all-day ATV network structure while boosting service during middays, evenings and weekends for an estimated added cost of $2.9 million per year.

Highlights of the 2022 “Major Growth” ATV Network plan include:  Creates an initial city-wide, high-frequency network with buses running every 15 minutes or better, all day, seven days per week in West End, Landmark, Arlandria, Potomac Yard, and Old Town.  Provides access to frequent, all-day transit to 100,000 city residents, compared to 40,000 today.  73% of low-income residents would have access to frequent, all-day transit (vs. 29% today).  Maintains existing bus service so that 99.5% of existing boardings are within 1/8 mile of a stop in 2022.  Significantly expands off-peak service, especially during evenings and weekends. All DASH routes would operate on Saturdays and Sundays with buses coming every 30 minutes or better.

AT2 Service Note: Based on public input and guidance from the ATC Board, staff is recommending that local weekday bus service (AT2/“N12”) should be maintained on Seminary Road and Janneys Lane. The annual operating cost of this service is estimated as $400,000, which has been added onto the ATV Network and is included in the cost estimate of this scenario. Alternatives for Seminary Road are provided later in this memorandum. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends that the Board of Directors should adopt the Final 2022 “Major Growth” ATV Network inclusive of the supplemental cost of “N12” service on Seminary Road, which would depend on an increase to the DASH subsidy by an estimated $2.9 million by FY 2022.

Major Growth (8%)

All-Day Frequency

Consistency/Simplicity

Weekend Service

Weekday Service

Service in Busy Areas

Net +/- DASH Subsidy $2,900,000 Net +/- WMATA Subsidy ($0.5-1.1 million) Net +/- Cost to City $1.8-2.4 million

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The 2022 ATV Network with “Minor Growth” represents a four 2022 ATV Network percent increase over existing DASH service levels, and an (Minor Growth / +4%) estimated $2.1 million increase to the annual DASH subsidy by FY 2022. This scenario represents a modest improvement to the existing network by establishing the ATV network structure and adding service frequency and span on weekday evenings and Sundays. A brief comparison of the “Minor Growth” and “Major Growth” scenarios is provided below with additional maps and analyses in Attachment I.

“Minor Growth” (4%) Scenario vs. “Major Growth” Scenario (8%):  Same network map and routings as the 2022 “Major Growth” scenario.  Same service levels for weekday peaks and middays as “Major Growth” scenario. - Fewer improvements to late weekday evening service, especially on N5 & N6. - All DASH routes would operate on Saturdays and Sundays with buses coming every 30 minutes or better, however, key routes (N4 & N7) in the West End and along the King Street would only run every 30 minutes on weekends instead of every 15 minutes all day, seven days per week as they would with “Major Growth”.

The “Minor Growth” scenario represents a positive near-term step towards the Final 2030 Alexandria Transit Vision. It allows the City to implement the new ATV network with substantial off-peak service improvements over the next two years with an estimated $2.1 million increase to the DASH subsidy. Ultimately, staff has recommended the 2022 “Major Growth” scenario based on the more frequent service it would provide on evenings and weekends, especially in areas like the West End and the King Street corridor. With buses running every 15 minutes or better, all day, seven days per week in these areas, the service becomes much more useful and any transfers that will now be required by the new network structure become much easier to complete.

Minor Growth (4%)

All-Day Frequency

Consistency/Simplicity

Weekend Service

Weekday Service

Service in Busy Areas

Net +/- DASH Subsidy $2,100,000 Net +/- WMATA Subsidy ($0.5-1.1 million)

Net +/- Cost to City $1.0-1.6 million

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The 2022 ATV Network with “No Growth” ultimately represents a 2022 ATV Network zero percent (0%) increase over existing DASH service levels, and an (No Growth / 0%) estimated $1.4 million increase to the annual DASH subsidy by FY 2022. This cost increase is due to a conservative estimate of the savings for the WMATA subsidy that would be realized through the reduction of WMATA service hours and the addition of the “N12” on Seminary Road. Depending on the final reduction amount for the FY22 WMATA subsidy, this scenario could be roughly cost neutral for the City as a whole.

This scenario establishes the ATV network and adds frequent service during middays, however, it fails to improve upon existing substandard levels of service during evenings and weekends. A brief comparison of the “No Growth” and “Minor Growth” scenarios is provided below with more maps and analyses in Attachment I.

“No Growth” (0%) vs. “Minor Growth” (4%) Scenario:  Same network map and routings as the 2022 “Major Growth” and “Minor Growth” scenarios.  Same service levels for weekday peaks and middays as “Major Growth” and “Minor Growth” scenarios. - No improvements to weekday evening service levels, as was included in the “Minor Growth” scenario. - “No Growth” scenario maintains existing Sunday service in which key routes would continue to run only once every hour. These routes include the N1 (Eisenhower/Carlyle/Old Town), N5 (Del Ray/Potomac Yard), N6 (Lee Center/Old Town North/Potomac Yard) and the N10/N11 (West End/Parkfairfax/Arlandria/Potomac Yard).

The “No Growth” scenario establishes the new ATV network and provides significant weekday midday improvements, but the lack of service improvements during late evenings and Sundays could result in the network being less useful than the existing network during those times. This service degradation is because the new network requires some riders to make new transfers that had not been previously required. If the buses are not running at least every 30 minutes, the transfers will be onerous and the service less useful.

No Growth (0%)

All-Day Frequency

Consistency/Simplicity

Weekend Service

Weekday Service

Service in Busy Areas

Net +/- DASH Subsidy $1,400,000 Net +/- WMATA Subsidy ($0.5-1.1 million) Net +/- Cost to City $0.4-1.0 million

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During the public outreach process, which is documented in AT-2 Alternatives Attachment II, major concerns were raised by residents along portions of Seminary Road and Janneys Lane about the proposed (Seminary Road & discontinuation of AT-2 local bus service along that corridor. Based on this input and guidance from the ATC Board, staff developed three Janneys Lane Service) alternatives for maintaining bus service.

Alternatives Considered Include: 1. Introduction of 3 intermediate stops on the AT-2X Express route (and/or) 2. Demand response service (or) 3. New local bus route along the corridor (route N12) Following a review of these options, staff recommend a new “N12” weekday-only local bus route. Such route shall operate every 30 minutes all day between Mark Center and King Street via Seminary Road and Janneys Lane. Weekend service would no longer be provided on this corridor.

Staff have explored opportunities with companies that assist with the provision of demand responses services, however the heavily peaked-nature of the ridership in this corridor, the lack of substantial cost savings as compared to fixed-route service, the implications of the newly unionized DASH workforce, and the complications of acquiring and maintaining a new subfleet of smaller vehicles (if service were operated in house) makes this a substantially less appealing option. Staff will continue to explore this and other related opportunities outside of the ATV project and see for future strategic partnership opportunities.

Intermediate stops on the AT2X remain a possibility, but it will not be possible to modify the service agreement with the Department of Defense until the contract is renewed next year. Staff continue to discuss changes to the AT-2X service with the Department of Defense, are pursing a rider survey at the request of the DoD and are gathering further justification to present to them. It is not anticipated that an answer about this option would exist for at least another year due to the contract expiration and the required research.

Two options exist to fund the Fixed Route Service (N12) along this corridor: A. Service is added as a supplemental on top of the Final ATV networks that are adopted by the Board, (or); B. Offset the additional cost by reducing service to the “N1” corridor on Eisenhower Avenue. The “N1” would be reduced during weekday peaks to run every 30 minutes instead of every 15 minutes along most of the existing AT-7 alignment. This swap eliminates a major potential benefit for peak riders in Carlyle and Eisenhower Valley which is an identified area for significant growth for Alexandria. (The peak improvements to the N1 route have seen particularly strong support by groups including the Carlyle Council and the Eisenhower Partnership.) Seminary/Janneys Corridor Annual Cost Affected Riders 1 Intermediate stop on AT2X* $ - 60 2 Flexible Demand Response Service** $ 552,720 95 3 "N12" Fixed-Route (30 min. weekday-only service) $ 400,000 95

Potential Service Reduction Annual Cost 4 Reduce N1 weekday peak headways from 30 to 15 minutes on Eisenhower Ave. $ (350,000) 175 *Further coordination with DOD required. May impact future contract revenues. **Demand response based on cost info from Via. Assumes 3 peak & 1 midday vehicle. Capital costs not included.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION: ATC Board adopt the N12 service supplement with the Final 2022 ATV Recommended Network investment, a total cost increase of $400,000. Simultaneously, the Board adopt the “Service Benchmark” (see next page) requirement for this route.

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AT2 Corridor Service Benchmark: The ATC Board has requested a ridership benchmark be proposed for service maintained on the Seminary Road corridor. To this end, staff recommend that the following conditions be applied to the continuation of service on this corridor: • Average weekday “N12” boardings between Howard Street and King Street shall increase by at least 20% (+20 boardings) by 2025; (and) • DASH Staff are required to analyze ridership on this route segment, reporting to the Board annually on its performance with a final recommendation for continuation/discontinuation at the ATC Board December Meeting in 2025.

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Assumptions & Additional Considerations To ensure the successful implementation of the Final ATV Network plans, staff have made a number of assumptions, and developed the following additional considerations for discussion:

Fleet Requirements: Staff have evaluated the fleet requirements of each of the proposed ATV scenarios, all scenarios assume the current DASH fleet plans, expansion and electrification strategy continue as planned in the CIP/TDP.

Since the majority of the service improvements are focused on off-peak periods, the number of buses required for the Final 2022 ATV network is expected to be roughly equal to the requirements of the existing DASH network (80).

Due to the increase in mid-day service, however, more relief cars will be needed. These are assumed to be purchased as a part of DASH’s annual capital budget.

For 2030, the peak bus requirement is anticipated to increase by five (5) buses to a total of 87 (104 inclusive of spares). If DASH expedites the electric transition plan, the peak requirement and total fleet size for FY22 would remain unchanged however by FY30 it is estimated a total of 120 buses would be required based on current technology. Although this would be a significant increase, DASH is slated to receive funding for 20 expansion electric buses through NVTA and SmartScale funding over the next five years, which covers the entirety of that requirement.

Bus Prioritization in Key Corridors: The usefulness of bus service is tied both to the service quality (frequency/span) as well as the travel speeds. A frequent all-day bus route is not as useful if it is stuck in the same traffic chokepoints as every other vehicle on the road. To this end, the ATV network assumes further investments in bus prioritization by the City of Alexandria. Examples include Transit Signal Prioritization (TSP), Queue Jumping, Dedicated Bus lanes and Fare Policies that minimize dwell times.

Stop Spacing Adjustments: The city’s existing bus network has several key segments with exceptionally slow travel speeds that are partly due to the route having too many stops in too close proximity to one another. The biggest example of this is King Street in Old Town which has a stop every block on several segments.

The ATV will necessitate coordinated consolidation of stops to provide shorter travel times and better on-time performance.

Bus Facility Improvements: The Final ATV Plan includes several assumptions about improvements to existing or planned bus facilities. Additional capacity will be needed in places like Mark Center and the new Potomac Yard Metro Station. Updated transit centers are assumed at Landmark Mall and Southern Towers. Additional stop improvements will also be needed at key transfer locations like Hampton Place and King Street, which connects the West End routes with the frequent “N4” to Old Town.

King Street Trolley: As outlined in the “Draft Recommended Network” report, there are several potential changes for the King Street Trolley that could be considered by City Council, including the extension to the Eisenhower Metro Station, and the introduction of morning service beginning at 6:00 AM.

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These improvements would make the Trolley more useful, but would require the purchase of two additional trolleys, increase the annual Trolley operating cost by approximately $900,000, and potentially reduce fare revenues from other routes that also operate on King Street.

Some alternative Trolley scenarios are also discussed that would integrate the Trolley more fully into the city’s transit network, but some adjustments to fare policy would likely be needed. Although the report explores these alternatives, any changes to the King Street Trolley are at the discretion of City Council and would only be submitted for their future consideration.

Route Names: The route names included in the plan (e.g. N1, N3, etc) have been used to make it easier to discuss the proposed changes without confusing the new routes with existing routes. Though these new route names are not the permanent route names, there will likely be some changes to route naming conventions that will create a simple, more legible bus system and will coincide with the launch new ATV network.

Attachment I – Additional ATV Maps & Tables

• Figure 1 – Final 2030 ATV Network Map (Peak) • Figure 2 – Final 2030 ATV Network Map (Midday) • Figure 3 – Final 2022 ATV Network Map (Peak) • Figure 4 – Final 2022 ATV Network Map (Midday) • Figure 5 – Mini-Map comparisons (Weekday Evening) • Figure 6 – Mini-Map comparisons (Sunday)

Attachment II – Outreach Summary

• Outreach Schedule & Outline (add note about pop-ups) • One-page summary of major issues, alternatives and/or mitigation strategies • One-page summary of final survey results (with and without AT2 comments) • Emails to Board of Directors (November 13 – December 1, 2019)

Attachment III – Letters and E-Mails to the Board

Board Action: Determine Approval of ATV, Percentages of Growth, and any other Conditions Next Steps: Staff Begin Implementation Plan, Fiscal Coordination, and Integration into Annual TDP Process

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ATC Board Agenda Detail Agenda Item #: 7 Item Title: Next Meeting and Adjournment Contact: All Attachments: None Customer Impact None Board Action: Motion and Approval of Adjournment

NEXT ATC BOARD MEETING Wednesday, January 8th, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. Alexandria City Hall, Council Workroom

Consider Adjournment

-- Board Attendance Log on Next Page –

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Alexandria Transit Company Board of Directors ATTENDANCE LOG 2018 - 2019 REGULAR (and special) BOARD MEETINGS ("P" present - "A" absent - “E” excused)

Meeting David Kerry Ian Matt Jim Stephen Yon Richard Date Kaplan Donley Greaves Harris Kapsis Klejst Lambert Lawrence 09/11/2019 P P P P E E P E 10/23/2019 P P P P P P P P 11/13/2019 P P P P P P P E 12/11/2019 01/08/2020 02/12/2020 03/11/2020 04/08/2020 05/13/2020 06/10/2020

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Alexandria Transit Company Board of Directors Meeting

ATV Attachment I: ATV Maps and Tables

Figure 1 – Final 2030 ATV Network Map (Peak)

Figure 2 – Final 2030 ATV Network Map (Midday)

Figure 3 – Final 2022 ATV Network Map (Peak)

Figure 4 – Final 2022 ATV Network Map (Midday)

Figure 5 – WEEKDAY EVENING Network Comparisons

2022 4% Growth

Figure 6 – SUNDAY Network Comparisons

2022 4% Growth

Figure 7 – 2030 ATV Frequency & Span Table

Figure 8 – 2022 ATV “Major Growth” (8%) Frequency & Span Table

Figure 8 – 2022 ATV “No Growth” (0%) Frequency & Span Table

Alexandria Transit Company Board of Directors Meeting

ATV Attachment II: Outreach Summary

Attachment II - Summary of ATV Outreach & Feedback – Fall 2019

A summary of feedback received is included below. More specific information is provided bon the following page. A full list of outreach activities is provided at the end of this attachment.

• Positive response to overall improvement in access to frequent, all-day transit, especially for low income, minority and senior residents • Widespread support for increasing off-peak and weekend service. • Support from Parkfairfax and North Ridge for AT3 & AT4 proposals (“N23” & “N24”). • Some confusion/misconceptions: • Route name changes (“N1”, “N3”, etc) – what happened to my route? • Loss of one-seat ride – may need to transfer, but overall trip is faster • Frequency is the key! (2 routes are not always better than 1) • Major concerns about potential loss of AT2 service along the Seminary/Janneys corridor. • Other Concerns included loss of AT3/4 midday service, removal of service from South Pickett Street, and route changes in Old Town.

ATV Survey Results

A short online survey was conducted to collect feedback on how the future ATV networks would affect individuals and the City as a whole. Nearly 700 survey responses were received, however, over 300 of the survey responses were about the proposed discontinuation of AT2 service on Seminary Road and Janneys Lane, which has been resolved in the Final ATV networks. As a result, the survey findings are shown below both with and without the AT2 subset of responses:

1. Are these networks better for YOU?

a. All Responses – 20% generally agree vs. 67% generally disagree b. Responses (Excluding Seminary/Janneys)– 36% agree vs. 42% disagree

The ATV networks are better for ME…. 2022 2030 Agree or Strongly Agree 36% 36% Disagree or Strongly Disagree 44% 40% Other (Neutral, No Opinion, etc) 20% 25% NOTE: Above results exclude responses specific to AT2 and Seminary Rd.

2. Are these networks better for THE CITY as a whole?

a. All Responses – 26% agree vs. 53% disagree b. Responses (Excluding Seminary/Janneys) – 43% agree vs. 28% disagree

This ATV networks are better for the City as a whole… 2022 2030 Agree or Strongly Agree 46% 41% Disagree or Strongly Disagree 29% 27% Other (Neutral, No Opinion, etc) 26% 32% NOTE: Above results exclude responses specific to AT2 and Seminary Rd

1 Summary of Most Common Issues/Concerns with Draft Recommended ATV Networks Emails & Rider Route/Area Impacted Survey Total Issue Notes Calls Impact Staff alternatives identified and included in 1 AT2 - Seminary/Janneys 304 49 353 95 AT2 discontinued on Seminary/Janneys Final ATV network No off-peak service for parts of Cameron Service discontinued due to exceptionally 2 AT3/4 Loop (Off-Peak Service) 14 5 19 45 Mill/Russell low ridership productivity Longer walk to more frequent, all day Service discontinued on S. Pickett due to 3 AT7 - S. Pickett Street 13 3 16 35 service Duke or Edsall/Reynolds; no other realignments routing options that will work. New N6 route serves area and connects to 4 AT7 - South Old Town 11 1 12 47 Route realignments in South Old Town (N6) Metrorail via Old Town North; new transfer to OTC req'd to get to King St. Metro Comments are from Alfred Baptist Church, Service discontinued on Duke Street in Old which would now have a 2 block walk to King 5 AT5 - Duke St (Old Town) 0 10 10 18 Town Street (Church provides shuttle to/from King St. Metro on Sundays) New N6 route replaces AT2 /AT5 with better 6 AT2/AT5 - Old Town North 8 0 8 74 Serivice realignments in Old Town North frequency/span. New stops would be no more than one block from current stops

Existing AT5 riders would need to use the AT5 replaced by 25B on Van Dorn, south of 7 AT5 - Van Dorn Street 6 0 6 181 WMATA 25B and connect at Southern Towers Seminary or Landmark Mall Majority of riders get on/off at Braddock Rd AT3 and AT4 riders must transfer at Braddock 8 AT3 & AT4 End at Braddock Rd Metro 4 1 5 15 Metro; 15 through riders would now transfer Rd Metro to frequent OTC or 10A/10B. Potential alternate routings via Jamieson, 9 N1 Routing in Carlyle 3 2 5 0 Concerns about N1 routing through Carlyle Dulaney and Holland under consideration. 10B takes riders from Hunting Point to 10 AT3 - Hunting Point 3 0 3 30 No more peak DASH service to Hunting Point Braddock Rd Metro 3-5 min. faster. Montgomery proposed to become two-way 11 Montgomery/Madison One-way 2 1 3 0 City proposal unrelated to ATV. Still TBD. street Existing AT2 riders would need to walk 1-2 No service along AT2 segments on 12 AT2 - Powhatan/Columbus 1 1 2 16 blocks further to Madison/Montgomery Powhatan/Columbus (OTC) or Washington Street (N6). DASH routes not longer deviate to Riders can walk less than 1/4 mile to all day, 13 AT1/AT2 - Reading/Rayburn 0 0 0 74 Reading/Rayburn high frequency service on Beauregard St

2 ATV Outreach Summary (Fall 2019)

The following meetings, events and outreach items were conducted for community outreach for the final ATV network proposals. The public comment period began October 9th and ended November 22nd. A summary of the feedback received is provided in subsequent pages.

Meetings/Events (2019) – see separate sheet for full schedule of meetings/events

• ATC Board Presentations (3) o October 23 / 5:30 PM – Presentation of Final Draft Proposals to ATC Board o November 13 / 5:30 PM – Public Hearing at November ATC Board Meeting o December 11 – Final Board Recommendations at December Board Meeting

• ATV Community Meetings (2) o Tuesday, October 15 (6:30 PM) – Armstrong Rec Center (North Alexandria) o Thursday, October 24 (6:30 PM) – Burke Library (West Alexandria)

• Pop-Up & Ride-Along Events (20) • Community Group Meetings (20) • Technical Advisory Committee Meeting (October 2) • ATV Stakeholder Workshop (October 10) • Bus Driver Work Session (October 17) • Transportation Commission Update (November 20)

Print/Digital Materials

• ATV Survey (Online/Print) • Project Website Updates (www.dashbus.com/transitvision) • One-Page Flyer (English, Spanish, Amharic) • Bus Posters (English, Spanish, Amharic) • At-Stop Posters for areas impacted by major service changes. • Onboard Announcements • Neighborhood-Specific Messaging for Flyers, Website and NextDoor (?) • Online Isochrone Tool • ATV Videos on Website, Social Media • Interview on “Senior Living” Local Access TV Program • City/DASH Website Info • City/DASH Social Media Info – intermittent project facts/blurbs • City/DASH Email Blasts • Real-Time Platform Messaging (CHK/Redmon Messages, Clever, Onebusaway)

3 Alexandria Transit Vision Plan – Fall 2019 Outreach Calendar

The following list outlines the ATV outreach events, meetings or presentations that will be conducted over the next two months to collect feedback on the final draft proposals for the ATV Bus Network. In addition to the events listed below, staff also conducted 20 “pop-up” events and “ride-alongs” to raise awareness amongst regular riders.

• Wednesday, October 2 – ATV Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting • Wednesday, October 9 – ATV final draft maps and report released for public comment. • Thursday, October 10 – ATV Stakeholder Workshop #3 • Saturday, October 12 – Commission on Aging (Transportation Committee Meeting) • Tuesday, October 15 (6:30 PM) – Community Meeting #1 (North Alexandria) o Armstrong Recreation Center: 25 W. Reed Ave, Alexandria, VA 22305 • Wednesday, October 16 – Alexandria Commission for Persons with Disabilities Meeting • Wednesday, October 16 – Virginia Theological School Meeting • Thursday, October 17 – Work Session with DASH Bus Operators • Tuesday, October 22 – MWCOG RPTS Meeting • Tuesday, October 22 – Wakefield-Tarleton & Strawberry Hill Civic Assocations Meeting • Wednesday, October 23 – ATC (DASH) Board Meeting Update • Thursday, October 24 (6:30 PM) – Community Meeting #2 (West Alexandria) o Ellen Coolidge Burke Library: 4701 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 22314 • Thursday, October 24 – Park Place Condominiums Meeting • Tuesday, November 5 – Casa Chirilagua Meeting • Tuesday, November 5 – Northampton Place Condo Association • Wednesday, November 6 – Parkfairfax Meeting • Thursday, November 7 – Housing Affordability Advisory Committee (AHAAC) • Friday, November 8 – Alexandria Commission for Women (ACFW) • Monday, November 11 – North Ridge Civic Association • Wednesday, November 13 (5:30 PM) – ATV Public Hearing at ATC Board Meeting o City Hall (2nd Floor): 301 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 • Thursday, November 14 – Senior Services of Alexandria Speaker Series • Thursday, November 14 – Commission on Aging (Ladray Senior Residences) Meeting • Thursday, November 14 – Seminary Hill Civic Association • Monday, November 18 – Environmental Policy Commission (EPC) Meeting • Wednesday, November 20 - City of Alexandria Transportation Commission Meeting • Friday, November 22 – End of ATV Public Comment Period • Wednesday, December 4 – Eisenhower Partnership Meeting • Wednesday, December 11 (5:30 PM) – ATC Board Meeting (Final Recommendations) o City Hall (2nd Floor): 301 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 • Wednesday, December 18 – Transportation Commission Update

4 Alexandria Transit Company Board of Directors Meeting

ATV Attachment III: Letters and E-Mails to the Board

Attachment III – Letters of Support/Concern to ATC Board of Directors

During the last two months, the ATC Board has received 16 letters regarding the Alexandria Transit Vision Plan from various community groups and organizations. These letters are summarized below with full copies in the pages that follow. Additional emails from individuals are also included at the end of this attachment.

From: Support Mixed Oppose Additional Notes Page Concerns about reducing service in low 1 City Transportation Commission X 1 incomes areas to pay for AT2. Represents 100 low income, minority 2 Casa Chirilagua X 3 families in Arlandria (~500 persons) Support Old Town Circulator service; North Old Town Independent 3 X concerns about city's plans to change 4 Citizens Assoc. Montgomery into two-way street Regional organization seeking to improve 4 Greater Washington Partnership X 5 bus service throughout region. Alexandria Housing Supportive of increasing access to useful 5 X 6 Affordability Advisory Comm. transit for low income/minority persons. Park Place Condominiums (Van Supportive of N10; concerns about shorter 6 X 7 Dorn Street) evening hours on 22C in 2030. Understand why AT3/4 Loop is being 7 North Ridge Civic Association X discontinued; Request future review of 8 midday ridership demand in area. 8 Parkfairfax Condo Association X Supportive of maintainence of AT3 & AT4 9 Supportive of maintainence of AT3 & AT4, Parkfairfax Land Use & 9 X but concerned about AT/3 Loop 10 Transportation Committee discontinuation and 22A alignment in 2030 Supportive of N1; especially for buses every 15 minutes during peaks in 2022; request 10 Eisenhower Partnership X 13 that we don't eliminate that to pay for service on Seminary Road Supportive of additional bus service in 11 Carlyle Council X 16 Carlyle with N1 and Trolley extension 12 St. Stephens & St. Agnes School X Strong concerns re: AT2 elimination 17 Douglas MacArthur Elementary 13 X Strong concerns re: AT2 elimination 18 PTA 14 Virginia Theological Seminary X Strong concerns re: AT2 elimination 20 15 NVCC - Alexandria Campus X Support N4 route, esp. 8% 2022 scenario 24 16 Commission on Aging X Support improvements for seniors. 25 Alexandria Transportation Commission 301 King Street \V\V\V .alexandriava. gov Alexandria, VA 22314 Phone: 703.746.4025

Alexandria Transit Company Board of Directors 3000 Business Center Drive Alexandria, VA 22314

November 20, 2019

Re: Alexandria Transit Vision Plan

Dear Chairman Kaplan and members of the Alexandria Transit Company (ATC) Board of Directors:

At its November 20, 2019 meeting, the Alexandria Transportation Commission was asked to provide support of the draftrecommended network of the Alexandria Transit Vison Plan, to the ATC Board of Directors. The Transportation Commission supports the 2030 DraftRecommended Network, as well as the 8 percent growth plan for2022, which would greatly improve mobility options during evening and weekend periods.

We appreciate that theAlexandria Transit Vision (ATV) Plan will be redesigning the bus network to improve overall mobility by making buses more frequentwith longer hours and improved connections, especially along existing and planned higher density corridors in theCity. The recommended network creates a more useful and equitable bus network that encourages more people to get more places. Specifically, the draftrecommended network makes the following improvements over the existing network:

• The proposed ATV network triples the number of Alexandria residents with access to frequent, all-day bus service by 2030

• The proposed ATV network triples the number of low-income residents in Alexandria with access to frequent, all-day bus service by 2030

• The proposed ATV network would nearly quadruple the number of minority residents in Alexandria v,iith access to frequent, all-day bus service by 2030

• The proposed ATV network would greatly increase the usefulnessof bus service during middays, evenings and weekends by 2030 respectively, which will help provide sh01ter wait times and longer hours of service forweekend transit users.

The draftrecommended network also addresses many of the concerns that were made within the Parkfairfax neighborhood during the second round of engagement. We understand that thereare some concerns related to loss of DASH Route AT2 service in the area along Janneys Lane and Seminary Road between King Street Metrorail Station and Howard Street, and the Commission recommends that the ATC Board guide stafftoward developing solutions to address these concerns. We understand that these solutions may impact other proposed routes, and ask that any potential route restructuring use a Title VI methodology foranalyzing impacts to vulnerable populations, and that staffwork to minimize negative impacts on such populations.

1 2

LEARNING TOGETHER TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS AS OURSELVES

November 13, 2019

Mr. David Kaplan, Chairman DASH Board of Directors 3000 Business Center Drive Alexandria, VA 22314

Members of the ATC Board of Directors:

Casa Chirilagua is a community-based nonprofit organization which provides high- quality community services to over 100 Central American immigrant families in the Arlandria/Chirilagua neighborhood. The majority of our community members are from low income families and rely upon public transportation like DASH and Metrobus as their primary method of transportation to get to work, school, shopping and many other types of activities.

As members of the Alexandria Transit Vision Plan Stakeholders Group, we have been working closely with DASH and the City of Alexandria on this important project for more than a year. We are very happy to see that the City and DASH are proposing to increase bus service to our community, especially during evenings and weekends. We also support the increased frequency of bus service that will be provided to the new Potomac Yard Metro Station by 2022. Based on these improvements, and the overall increases in transit access for low income and minority residents, we strongly support both proposed bus networks for 2022 and 2030 and encourage the DASH Board to adopt these plans.

Thank you for your consideration.

Adriana Gómez Schellhaas Executive Director | Casa Chirilagua

4109 Mount Vernon Ave. · Alexandria, Virginia 22305 · 703.933.3688 · CasaChirilagua.org North Old Town Independent Citizens’ Association of Alexandria, Virginia P.O. Box 25571 Alexandria, VA 22314

November 13th, 2019

Alexandria Transit Company c/o General Manager & Board Secretary Fatima Ahmed 3000 Business Center Drive Alexandria, VA 22314

Dear Chairman Kaplan, Vice Chairman Donley, Vice President Lambert & ATC Board of Directors,

We, the Board of the North Old Town Independent Citizens’ Association (NOTICe), write to express our comments, support and concerns regarding the Transit Vision Plan. Our comments are related to three issues specific to North Old Town:

1) Reiterating, in the strongest possible terms, our absolute opposition to converting Montgomery Street from one-way to two-way; 2) Support for a north-south circulator through Old Town, including North Old Town; and 3) Requesting the use of electric buses for new and extended routes within North Old Town.

Oppose the conversion of Montgomery Street to two-way: NOTICe, other neighborhood organizations and the public have long expressed strong opposition to converting Montgomery Street from one-way to two-way. NOTICe opposes this transition for many reasons and safety is our primary concern. Without a traffic study, no changes should be made. We have attached previous communications from NOTICe and other North Old Town-based organizations regarding this matter.

Support for the Old Town Connector: At present, North Old Town is reasonably well served by transit options. In the coming years, density and jobs in our neighborhood will only grow. As ATC works to serve our neighbor and city’s expanding population, we believe the OTC route will provide a vital north- south connection through the entirety of Old Town, thus providing increased connectivity for residents, employees and visitors. Our only comment beyond support would be to consider using both Fairfax and St. Asaph Streets for the route. Perhaps the northbound route would use Fairfax Street and southbound route would travel St. Asaph Street, North Old Town’s designated commercial corridor.

Support the use of electronic buses: It’s no secret that vehicle emissions are a major driver of climate change and local air pollution. ATC has aggressively worked to reduce its fleet emission in recent years and we support this bold effort. As routes are expanded and new buses are needed, we request that electric buses be used in North Old Town to preserve the health of residents and our local ecosystem.

Should you have questions regarding this letter, please feel free to contact NOTICe President Mary Harris at [email protected] or 571.482.0770 and/or Board Member James Lewis at [email protected] or 724.288.3995.

Sincerely, NOTICe Board

4 From: Joe McAndrew To: [email protected] Cc: Maggie Gendron; John Hillegass Subject: Feedback on ATV Draft Recommended Networks Date: Thursday, October 24, 2019 5:55:34 PM Attachments: image235214.png image044651.png image872074.png image139412.png

The Greater Washington Partnership (the Partnership) is a team of civic-minded CEOs, drawing from leading employers and entrepreneurs, who are committed to making the Capital Region of Baltimore, Washington, and Richmond one of the world’s best places to live, work and build a business. The Partnership strongly supports the Alexandria Transit Vision Plan, led by the City of Alexandria and DASH, to create a more useful and competitive bus network.

The draft 2022 and 2030 recommended networks proposed by the Alexandria Transit Vision (ATV) project would greatly expand access to frequent bus service. Frequent bus service is key to improving the customer experience and creating a better, more equitable transit system.

Frequent service was a top-line recommendation of the WMATA-backed Bus Transformation Project and was included in the Partnership’s 2018 Rethinking the Bus issue brief. Creating a fast, reliable, and equitable bus system for the entire Capital Region will require improved coordination between providers and more jurisdictions need to take the kind of bold action and leadership shown by the City of Alexandria. We commend the City of Alexandria and DASH for their forward thinking vision and recommend that you move to advance both the 2022 and the 2030 visions as expeditiously as possible.

Keep up the great work!

- Joe

Joe McAndrew Director, Transportation Policy 202.871.9908

5 Alexandria Transit Company Board of Directors 3000 Business Center Drive Alexandria, VA 22314

November 25, 2019

Re: Alexandria Transit Vision Plan

Dear Chairman Kaplan and members of the Alexandria Transit Company (ATC) Board of Directors:

At its November 7, 2019 meeting, the Alexandria Housing Affordability Advisory Committee (AHAAC) voted to support the 2030 Draft Recommended Network presented as part of the Alexandria Transit Vison Plan (ATV). We appreciate that the ATV Plan will be redesigning the bus network to improve overall mobility by improving frequency and expanding service hours, including on weekends and off-peak hours. The proposed network will dramatically increase the number of Alexandria residents, in particular low-income and minority residents, with access to frequent, all-day bus service. Such service is essential to many Alexandrians who rely on transit to reach critical services and employment opportunities.

In addition, the proposed ATV network is anticipated to significantly increase the usefulness of bus service during middays, evenings and weekends. The total amount of bus service provided on Saturdays and Sundays would increase by 37% and 71% by 2030 respectively, which will help provide shorter wait times and longer hours of service for weekend transit users, including workers in the hospitality, restaurant, and retail sectors.

The recommended transit network also importantly achieves other transportation goals, such as improving local and regional connectivity, improving air quality by reducing pollution, and reducing traffic congestion by providing convenient alternatives to driving alone. We appreciate the opportunity to be involved in this project and provide guidance to the ATC Board of Directors.

Sincerely,

Michelle Krocker Chair, Alexandria Housing Affordability Advisory Committee cc: Alexandria Transportation Commission Yon Lambert, Director, T&ES Josh Baker, General Manager, DASH Hillary Orr, Deputy Director, T&ES Steve Sindiong, Capital Projects Program Manager, T&ES Martin Barna, Director of Planning, DASH

6 From: Mike DeLiso To: Martin Barna Cc: Board of Directors; Shawn O"Quinn; Steve Sindiong; [email protected]; Fatima Ahmed Subject: [EXTERNAL]ATV Testimony from Park Place Condominium Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 9:13:21 PM

Martin, Please see below Park Place's testimony for tomorrow evening. Let me know if there's anything I need to do to sign up to speak tomorrow. See you then. Thanks, Mike Good evening. My name is Michael DeLiso and I represent the Park Place Condominium Board at 2500 North Van Dorn Street; I live there in unit 1402. Park Place Condominium is next to the Braddock Lee Apartments and Fort Ward Park. Park Place is a high rise consisting of 399 residential units, including 56 three bedroom units and 115 two bedroom units. Park Place also has commercial units with three medical practices, a soon-to-arrive daycare center, the building’s management, and two commercial vacancies. Our businesses require full day bus service for their patients, patrons, and employees. Our residents require these services as well, especially our seniors, our residents with disabilities, and our residents without cars. 38 of Park Place’s residential units are owned by the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority, specifically dedicated to elderly persons and persons with disabilities. The Park Place Board put out a survey last week asking about bus service usage and a formal Association position on the ATV. We received 35 responses. The Association Position was strongly supported by 89% of survey respondents. No respondents were opposed, only one was neutral, and three simply supported the position instead of strongly supporting it. 94% of respondents said their bus use would increase with the new services in the ATV. Our Association Position is as follows: Park Place Condominium supports the Alexandria Transit Vision Plan. We welcome the return of all-day bus service proposed by the new N10 route. We value the route’s connectivity to the West End Transitway and its connection to metro in the near-term vision. We also value peak services currently provided by WMATA’s 22F, with its metro connection using the 395 Express Lanes. We are happy to see the current service level maintained in the near-term vision, but have concerns with the plan’s service reductions in the long-term vision. We request a solution in the long-term plan that maintains current peak service quality with single-seat metro connectivity. We value the plan’s overall improvement in service provided by the network, and value maintenance of and improvements of service levels in our immediate vicinity to include the King Street corridor. We thank staff efforts for proposing the N10’s routing work-around of the intersection of Kenmore Ave and Seminary Road. We look forward to continued engagement with the City and other stakeholders to improve transportation on the Van Dorn Street corridor. The Association supports the plan and seeks the support of DASH, the City of Alexandria, WMATA, and other regional authorities to ensure that our residents, businesses and community will be well served. Thank you for your time this evening.

DISCLAIMER: This message was sent from outside the City of Alexandria email system. DO NOT CLICK any links or download attachments unless the contents are from a trusted source.

7 NRCA, P.O. Box 3242, Alexandria, VA 22302

November 19, 2019 SENT VIA EMAIL

DASH Board c/o Mr. Martin Barna, Senior Scheduler/Planner Alexandria Transit Company 3000 Business Center Drive Alexandria, VA 22314

Dear Mr. Barna:

On behalf of the North Ridge Citizens’ Association (NRCA), thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed Alexandria Transit Vision Plan, which is intended to establish a future bus network for the city. Overall, the proposed plan seems to allocate service to Alexandrians with the admirable goal of increased equity for those who most need access. For example, the redesigned AT-9 route (new N-8) will offer additional service for residents within walking distance of Glebe Road to Potomac Yard Metro, Shirlington, Mark Center, the West End and Van Dorn Metro.

NRCA appreciates that you have listened to our residents and will be recommending preserving AT-3 and AT-4 service during peak hours. This service is vital to many North Ridge and Parkfairfax residents for their daily commute. We regret the decision to drop midday, evening and weekend service on the AT-3/4 Loop due to low ridership and the need to make other routes more useful for larger numbers of people, but we understand that it may be difficult to justify running nearly empty buses during those hours, even on an hourly basis. We would simply note that the proposed plan leaves a large area of North Ridge without public transit service during significant periods of time each week.

Based on discussions at the NRCA monthly meeting on November 11, we encourage the DASH Board to periodically monitor midday ridership demand in the North Ridge neighborhood to determine if demographic or other changes would warrant re-establishing or reconfiguring service. As we look for improvements to mobility in Central Alexandria that can also potentially reduce traffic congestion, we also welcome the opportunity to pilot alternative technologies or services that might meet residents’ needs (i.e. on-demand service, driverless vehicles) in the near future. This would be especially relevant for those without vehicles, seniors, household employees and school-age youth who currently benefit from DASH service during the day.

Regards,

Kay Stimson, NRCA President cc: NRCA Board Members Martin Barna

From: Jim Konkel Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2019 11:53 AM To: Martin Barna Cc: [email protected]; Steve Sindiong; Justin Wilson Subject: Martin - ATV Latest Draft Review Regarding Parkfairfax

Martin,

Thank you for presenting to Parkfairfax (along with Parc East) last night the latest ATV draft plan, specifically as it relates to Parkfairfax.

I most want to thank you, Josh, the ATV group, as well as the City Council, for making very important adjustments for all Parkfairfax residents. These changes show you listened to us and were responsive to our needs. We will remember.

We know this plan is still a draft but we feel Parkfairfax is in a very good place and we look forward to supporting the transit network.

James Konkel At-Large Board Member Parkfairfax Condo Assoc.

1 9 From: Bob To: Josh Baker; Martin Barna; [email protected]; Steve Sindiong; Tristan Cunningham Cc: [email protected]; "C. Tapscott Buchanan"; "Kent Duffy"; "Pat Popovich"; "Susan Melnicove" Subject: [EXTERNAL]Alexandria Transit Vision (ATV) Additional Comments Date: Friday, November 15, 2019 7:36:24 AM

Good morning,

I must begin by sincerely thanking DASH, the ATC Board and T&ES for reevaluating the transportation needs of the Parkfairfax community and revising the ATV concept maps in response. As was evident during the much-appreciated visit of Mr. Barna and Mr. Cunningham to our community on November 6th, preservation of the direct AT3 and AT4 peak hour direct service to the Pentagon Metro has been well received by the hundreds of Parkfairfax (and Parc East) residents who rely on DASH for their daily commute. Support for the off-peak Metrobus 22A service, at least in the near-term concept, is also appreciated by those who work non-traditional hours as well as weekend and occasional travelers.

While great progress has been made in protecting peak hour service, a few lingering concerns remain, which I will address here:

Removal of AT3-4 Loop Service (2022)

The AT3-4 Loop currently operates 8 weekday, 12 Saturday and 10 Sunday runs. While ridership on this off-peak (only) route has traditionally been light, it is probably the most efficient transit route in Alexandria. Only one bus and one driver execute the complete loop from City Hall to Parkfairfax and back to City Hall in under one hour, serving dozens of stops comprising two entire bus routes through North Ridge, Arlandria and Parkfairfax. Removal of this service creates a gaping hole (a.k.a. transit desert) through the eastern part of the city. Several years ago DASH added a complete loop to the last weekday run, yet now without any significant change in ridership levels, the ATV proposes to eliminate the service completely. Do the miniscule savings realized by eliminating one bus and one driver justify the hardship and ill-will created?

The AT3-4 Loop is the only practical off-peak transit link between Parkfairfax, Braddock Rd. Metro and Old Town. I, personally, rely on the Loop to return home after attending monthly evening meetings at City Hall. Faced with the alternative of having to take two buses with an untimed transfer at the windy and desolate corner of King and Kenwood, or a bus-rail-bus journey, I would have no viable option but to drive to City Hall.

As was mentioned during the November 6th meeting, some members of our community do not own a car or are not able to drive, and will suffer even greater hardship by removal of the A3-4 Loop.

And why remove the service for eight years only to replace it, in spirit, with a different service (see below)? Why not promote the Loop with a slick ad campaign, rather than simply write it off?

Realignment of Metrobus 22A (2030)

10 While the near term (2022) concept maps now support retaining Metrobus 22A service as-is, the long term (2030) maps show a puzzling deviation of this route from Shirlington to the King St. Metro, omitting S. Fairlington. I have been told the proposed change is to provide “regional connectivity” and, upon further inquiry, to provide a direct link from Shirlington to the King St. Metro station. On first glance it appears the proposed 22A realignment is a pseudo-replacement for the AT3-4 Loop, offering Parkfairfax residents a replacement service to the Old Town after an 8 year hiatus. What is the point of removing the AT3-4 Loop in 2022 and then declare a need to replace it (sort of) in 2030?

This warrants further analysis:

Metrobus 22A connect S. Fairlington and Parkfairfax with the Pentagon AND Pentagon City. In fact, all Pentagon-bound 22A buses first stop at Pentagon City where most passengers connecting to the Blue or Yellow lines alight for a faster and easier connection. Returning home, the Pentagon City bus stop provides more amenities and a nicer environment to wait for the 22A bus than the desolate (evenings and weekends) Pentagon bus concourse. Even before Amazon announced their plans for “National Landing,” the Pentagon City area was experiencing explosive growth. The area around King St. Metro, on the other hand, is fairly stable and will never rival Pentagon City with regards to shopping, dining and employment. If the ATV is intended to be responsive to transit needs over the next decade, removing service to Pentagon City in favor of the King St. Metro is not understood.

The assertion that there is no direct bus service between Shirlington and Old Town is simply not true. Metrobus 10B already provides service every 30 minutes seven days a week from early morning until approximately 1 AM. Unlike the proposed 22A realignment, the 10B serves the transit-friendly communities of Arlandria and Del Ray before stopping at Braddock Rd. and travelling the entire length of Washington St. through the heart of the city. The proposed 22A would operate at the same frequency, but travel through affluent low density areas along W. Braddock Rd. and Russell Rd hardly attracting significant ridership along the way. And to get to Old Town proper, 22A passengers would be forced to transfer to an Old Town Circulator at King St. whereas 10B riders will continue to have “one seat” service. If the 22A is realigned as proposed, it will be lucky to attract half the ridership of the current AT3-4 Loop, at least on the Alexandria portion of the service. In short, the rationale for severing all off-peak bus service from S. Fairlington and Parkfairfax to Pentagon City and the Pentagon based on an unproven need for travel to the King St. Metro station requires further evaluation in my judgement.

The 294 unit Park Shirlington garden apartment complex in Arlington County was built in the 1950s along hilly 31St.S between Shirlington and Fairlington. Off-peak service is currently provided by Metrobus routes 7A, 7F and 22A. The ATV proposes that in 2030, these routes disappear from 31st S. and be replaced by a new route, N8, terminating at the future Potomac Yard Metro station. On 13 November I attended a briefing by a team of developers who recently purchased the Park Shirlington property and are seeking County approval to add well over 400 additional units, including seven story buildings, to the site. The developers’ sketches show bus stop locations as they consider transit to be a strong selling point for their property. Unfortunately, residents there will either have to take two buses to reach the Pentagon or ride the much longer N8 route to Potomac Yard for a longer train ride into Washington. While the 7A and F use I-395 to reach Pentagon City (weekends

11 and the Pentagon (daily) Metro stations in a few minutes, the N8 will travel via already congested W. Glebe and E. Glebe Rds, neighborhood streets with a 25 mph speed limit and multiple traffic signals. With future development around the Potomac Yard Metro inevitable, and no major east-west road network in the city that can cope, travel time for the N8 (and other routes on W. Glebe and E. Glebe Rds.) will increase significantly. In my view, this does not portend well for future Park Shirlington residents travelling outside the rush hour.

Finally, the 2030 plan eliminates direct off-peak bus service (currently 22A) between S. Fairlington and Pentagon City/Pentagon and substitutes service via new routes (N10, N11) that will terminate at Shirlington. I do not speak for Fairlington, but I expect those wonderful Arlington County residents will not thank us for taking away their direct service to Pentagon City/Pentagon.

In summary:

I recommend a cost/benefit analysis before committing to eliminate the AT3-4 Loop in the near term (2022) plan. For the long term (2030) I recommend serious reconsideration of the puzzling plan to “bend” the 22A at Shirlington from its current S. Fairlington/Parkfairfax/Pentagon City/Pentagon route to a new terminus at King St., a “lose-lose” for all neighborhoods now served.

Sorry for the lengthy treatise here, and I thank you as always for your consideration.

Best regards,

v/r Bob

Bob Gronenberg Chair Parkfairfax Transportation and Land Use Committee

DISCLAIMER: This message was sent from outside the City of Alexandria email system. DO NOT CLICK any links or download attachments unless the contents are from a trusted source.

Mr. Martin Barna DASH City of Alexandria, Virginia

December 3, 2019

Dear Mr. Barna and Dash Board of Directors,

The Eisenhower Partnership is excited about the upcoming changes to DASH. As we wrote in a prior letter, we enthusiastically support the ridership objectives of the Alexandria Transit Vision plan.

That is why we are concerned about a proposal to reduce the Eisenhower N–1 to 30-minute frequency in favor less travelled routes, specifically Seminary Road. Seminary is built out and not expecting a rush of new residents, but Eisenhower has a full pipeline of density and traffic ahead for the next two years.

The segment of Seminary that was to lose service has about 100 boardings per weekday. Average weekday ridership on Eisenhower’s AT-7 is approximately 175 boardings per weekday. This does not include bus traffic from the Van Dorn Metro, which would make this number much higher and reflect future N-1 riders.

The key to ridership is frequency. People make the bus a habit when they go to the same place, at the same time, making commuters the most logical set of target customers. Off-peak service improvements won’t help, as occasional weekend trips around Alexandria are more easily managed with Uber or Lyft.

Increased bus frequency on Eisenhower solves problems across Alexandria by reducing traffic and boosting our tax base with economic growth. Major development is happening here, but traffic gridlock and car dependency pose risks to that growth.

As you decide on peak service levels in 2022, we ask that you consider how increased frequency on Eisenhower can help all of Alexandria thrive. As the existing plan suggests, peak service on Eisenhower should be at least every 15 minutes by 2022. Even more frequent service would be helpful. For certain, another ten years of low-frequency service on Eisenhower will hurt all Alexandrians.

Existing Ridership Needs Many AT-7 riders commute to Eisenhower East, showing that a need exists now to bring people to this area by bus from the West End. Not only is parking limited at the Van Dorn Metro, this Blue line station only connects to King, forcing commuters to drive to Eisenhower East.

Most Alexandrians live in the West part of the city. Most of our large businesses are in the East. Naturally, we’re going to have daily traffic moving East, especially as Eisenhower East adds businesses like Wegmans and more homes are added in the western part of Alexandria. We cannot afford to prioritize bus service in places that are at their build capacity at the expense of growing areas.

Eisenhower is Booming: Let’s Build on That The need for more frequent bus service to reach Eisenhower East will only grow as new residents discover Eisenhower. For example, two large new towers are under construction just to the West of the bridge over Telegraph road. The Victory Center is planned for new townhomes in its eastern parking lot. Additional properties are being bought and rezoned in the West End. Eisenhower East is booming in multi-family rentals. New office and residential towers are already being built.

This increased density in the East offers strong ridership potential for DASH. These new Alexandrians will need frequent service to prevent them from using their cars. The area needs to attract retail customers and businesses. While some buildings there have underground parking, this isn’t obvious to customers. No one will support these new businesses if they have to drive there, but there’s nowhere to park.

Eisenhower is one of the most likely spots growth to broaden Alexandria’s tax base. Large employers and density are more likely here than anywhere outside of National Landing. In fact, Amazon workers are likely to live in the new developments along Eisenhower as prices surge in National Landing. These new Amazon Alexandrians will need to get to the Metro. Despite having two stations, walking, biking, or riding a scooter down Eisenhower is impractical most of the year due to heat, humidity, snow, and rain.

Additional Ideas: DASH to Prevent Alexandria Gridlock

Circulator Rather Than Trolley While King Street Trolley to Eisenhower Metro would be helpful, it may not address the pressing, longstanding need to connect between Duke and Eisenhower where constant traffic pools each weekday morning. We suggest a circulator to connect major sources of car, foot, and Metro traffic, possibly from:

● King Street Metro to ● Daingerfield Rd+Prince St to ● Holland Lane to ● Eisenhower, serving the Patent and Trade Office, National Science Foundation, Eisenhower Metro, to

● Eisenhower and Ike Drive, catching West End Eisenhower development to ● Eisenhower and Swamp Fox, over Telegraph Road to ● Duke and W Taylor Run, catching major apartment and business traffic, down Duke street to ● Alexandria’s Union Station (Amtrak and VRE) and back to King Street Metro. Additionally, a bus can get from the West End to the East End and Metro trains heading North faster on Eisenhower than anywhere else in the City. If planned and properly advertised, Eisenhower could be a bus corridor to keep cars off Duke Street.

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Commuter Lots for the N–1 Eisenhower West has the most unused parking inside the beltway, located on either side of the Eisenhower Connector. Frequent bus service coupled with smartphone bus tracking applications would make it easy to park at Cameron Run or the Victory Center and get to a Metro station or businesses in Eisenhower East.

Interstate 495 runs parallel to the widest length of Alexandria. Every morning, commuters pour through Alexandria toward jobs, meetings, and events in Washington, DC. They enter Alexandria from exits 174 and 176 on Eisenhower.

Alexandria does not have enough road space or parking for these cars and they pool at either end of Eisenhower on Van Dorn and Telegraph, creating gridlock. If we intercept these cars and get commuters to the Metro, we could prevent this traffic.

The Cameron Run lot to the East of the Connector is owned by Alexandria and empty during weekday peaks. The Victory Center lot to the West of the Connector could cheap parking for the Metro to begin recouping losses and attracting buyers with frequent busses.

Conclusion Given these points, we ask the DASH Board of Directors to consider if 15-minute frequency is enough. The N–1 could boost growth, reduce traffic, and begin to make Eisenhower into a transportation pipeline across Alexandria.

Sincerely,

Daniel Beason

Vice-President

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To: Martin Barna, Transit Vision Study Team Leader Steve Sindiong, Transit Vision Study Team Leader

From: Beth Chase, Chief Financial Officer

Date: November 6, 2019

Re: DASH AT2 Bus route

At St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School we believe strongly in environmental stewardship and reducing our carbon footprint. We encourage carpooling, using public transportation, and bicycling and walking to school. The recent redesign of Seminary Road established crosswalks and bike paths to support alternative transportation options besides vehicles. We appreciate the Transit Vision Study team’s goal of developing a modern DASH bus network which makes transit more useful and productive.

We want to share with you the concerns that we have about eliminating the DASH AT2 bus route. Currently the school has close to a dozen students, employees, and outside contractors who utilize that bus service daily. The elimination of the AT2 route will force the regular ridership to move to the 28A bus route. The AT2 bus route bus stop is located at the corner of Seminary Road and Saint Stephen’s road, while the nearest bus stop on the 28Abus route is located at Howard Street and Seminary Road. Being dropped at Howard Street instead of Saint Stephen’s Road doubles the distance that our students and employees will need to walk to get to the campus. We are concerned that this change will make it less desirable to take public transit and may result in less bus ridership and more vehicles on Seminary Road. We ask that the Transit Vision Study team consider the impact that eliminating this route will have on ridership and street congestion.

Alexandria Transit Company Request to Maintain DASH AT2 Service October 29, 2019

William C. Pfister Jr. | 3718 Templeton Place | [email protected]

Dear Messrs. Barna and Sindiong,

Thank you and the entire Alexandria Transit Vision (ATV) project team for your desire to improve the DASH service. I am writing to request the DASH AT2 service be maintained and I oppose the elimination proposed in the current Alexandria Transit Vision Plan.

The stated purpose of the ATV project is to “[encourage] more people to get to more places using transit”, although the elimination of the AT2 would remove transit options for an entire corridor that relies on it. I am a regular AT2 rider. While the density of ridership along Janneys Lane and Seminary road from Howard to North Quaker may not be the highest in the city, the AT2 is the only service within at least a mile to most of this area. Virtually every morning that I ride the AT2 starting near Fort Williams Parkway, the bus is full by the time it reaches King Street station and the afternoons heading west are a similar situation.

I am the immediate past PTA President for Douglas MacArthur Elementary School and I am aware of many in the school community that rely on the AT2 service. Nearly every time I ride the bus, I see other MacArthur parents who I know and there are always people getting on or off at the MacArthur stop. Beyond just the students’ families, MacArthur staff members also ride the AT2. In fact, individuals from all five of the schools and preschools along this corridor rely on AT2 service.

Within a week of asking my neighbors for feedback on the proposed AT2 elimination, I heard from dozens of people who rely on this bus route. Many concerns were what I expected with people concerned about their work commutes. However, I also heard many personal stories I wasn’t expecting. To name a few: students relying on AT2 to get to their schools (including St. Stephens and St. Agnes and TC Williams and satellite campuses); retirees getting to medical appointments at the hospital or Southern Towers; physically disabled individuals getting to work; and families with one car taking their children shopping or to Old Town while their spouses were at work. Nearly every day, I learn of new individuals who would be negatively impacted by the proposed AT2 elimination.

As an advocate for safer roads and increased reliance on public transit, I believe it is necessary to maintain the AT2 service. Given the significant effort the entire community endeavoured with the redesign of this portion of Seminary Road, it would be prudent to wait at least some time to study the effects of the redesign. After all, the Seminary Road redesign was intended to increase safety for all modes of transportation and to increase transit use. If DASH eliminates the AT2 service as currently proposed, the decision would be made within weeks of installing new crosswalks intended to provide safe access to AT2 bus stops.

In closing, I ask again that you maintain the AT2 service, which is relied on by so many.

Sincerely, Bill Pfister

TO: [email protected] [email protected] CC: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

DASH Board members [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

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City of Alexandria, Virginia Commission on Aging Division of Aging and Adult Services Department of Community and Human Services 6101 Stevenson Avenue Alexandria, Virginia 22304 703-746-5999 http://alexandriava.gov/Aging [email protected]

December 06, 2019

Sent via email to Mr. David Kaplan, Chr, ATC (DASH) BofD Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) Board of Directors Attn: Mr. David Kaplan, Chair 3000 Business Center Drive Alexandria, VA 22314

RE: Letter of Endorsement for DASH Visioning Plan

Dear David,

The Executive Committee of the Commission on Aging (COA), the principal advocate for issues relating to aging and implementation of the Older Americans Act, is pleased to endorse the Alexandria Transit Visioning Plan.

This endorsement is based on the following two (2) points of view including rationale:

First, we are pleased with the increase in frequency of service for older residents who live near a bus stop. We believe this increase in frequent services will greatly enable a substantial number of older adults now living near bus stops, especially older low wage earners, to reach services which help enhance their quality of life (i.e., doctors, medical facilities, shopping areas, places of worship and places of work).

Second, we understand the adoption of the recommendations by Alexandria Transit Company Board of Directors for the 2022 network is a first step in moving to the 2030 network as outlined in the 2030 Plan. We remain hopeful that the board will continue to work toward maintaining and advancing coverage of areas with significant numbers of older residents and individuals with limited mobility as the plan evolves to the 2030 network.

As a designated stakeholder/partner committed to the enhancement of current as well as future Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) services, we look forward to working with staff and the board of directors to advance goals which meet the needs of all residents, but especially the needs of the older Alexandrian.

The full COA has not yet taken a position but intends to consider the issue on December 12, 2019. Should you have questions concerning our endorsement, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Barbara H. (Babs) Waters Chair, Commission on Aging cc: Mr. David Kaplan, Chair, ATC BoD, [email protected] Mr. Josh Baker, GM/CEO [email protected] Ms. Fatima Ahmed, Secretary, ATC BoD, [email protected] Mr. Martin Barna, Director of Planning, [email protected] COA Transportation Committee, ATTN: Chair (Mr. Alan Dinsmore) ATTACHMENT III (Cont’d) – EMAILS RECEIVED (Nov. 13 – Dec. 1)

Note: The first set of emails that was received prior to November 12, 2019 was provided to the ATC Board prior to their November 13 Board meeting.

FROM: Susan Gage Dear Mr. Barna and Mr. Sindiong,

I have been working with Ms. Liz Doughty Kane to keep the AT2 bus service, the only DASH bus that serves our campus community. I depended upon the bus last year to get to appointments in Alexandria, go shopping, or get to the King Street Metro so I could get to churches in DC. Without this convenience, I would have been stranded and forced to spend a significant amount of money on Lyft. Given that my enrollment in seminary has meant that I had to quit my job and campus jobs restricted the hours I could work as a student, the bus was a vital resource.

I’m attaching petitions from our community. Please take the time to read the comments. We all want more bus service to all the members of Alexandria that need the service. But we think you can do this without taking away our only service. Thank you!

With respect, Susan Gage Postulant for Holy Orders, Diocese of GA M.Div. 2021 (850) 597-2374

FROM: John Hardies Comments for ATV Project Team on AT2 Bus: I won’t be able to attend the meeting, so let me share some comments. 1. My views primarily relate to peak service. This is when I ride. (That said, a lot of other people ride on off-peak service, and their needs and views must also be taken into consideration. As the population ages, and baby-boomers retire, it is likely that more off-peak riders will benefit from the AT2. The chances these many baby-boomers will become avid bike riders is rather low. So, the bus is a good alternative to driving.) 2. In the mornings, I often catch the AT2 on the way to the King Street Metro, between 7 and 7:30 AM. I am on the tail-end of Janneys Lane, so can also walk a few blocks to take the AT5 or AT6. When I get either the AT5 or AT6 I am always struck by how few people are aboard. Typically, it is between 5 and 10. Contrast this with the AT2, which is nearly full when I get on. What is going on here? Perhaps people ride only segments, and get off well before King St. Metro. Please be sure to compare ridership with other routes like the AT5 and AT6, and along various segments of all these routes, when you plan anything like eliminating the AT2. 3. Cutting back bus service on this route is simply a bad idea. If anything, the frequency of buses should be increased, to make the route even more attractive to people. 4. When you make this increase in service, market the change with some compelling marketing and public service announcements. Marketing should be focused on all different socioeconomic classes. 5. Get more creative with your overall marketing. Present some data about how much carbon is NOT being released into the atmosphere compared to driving. I don’t recall any of your marketing mentioning this. 6. I understand that the AT2X is paid from some other source, and has something to do with a “green certification”, so ridership matters little. There is nothing more disheartening than to see these buses thunder past with none or a handful of passengers on them. Sheer madness! Change the certification for green-ness so it can be applied to the AT2! Then put the money into the AT2. 7. Do not eliminate the AT2! Thanks very much, John Hardies 506 Robinson Court Alexandria, VA 22302 - Taxpayer and consistent voter NOVEMBER 13 - I have one additional comment for ATV Project Team on AT2 Bus:

This relates to my No. 6, below (highlighted) about the AT2 and AT2 Express. Perhaps the AT2 Expr. can take over all of the AT2 schedules and route. Then the AT2 can be eliminated, and the subsidy being paid to the AT2 Expr. will provide much more support to the community - and make this green building certification far more substantial. This would be a "win" for both the community and for the building and the green certification. regards, - John

FROM: Diana Nichols I have been using the AT2 for many years. It will be a great inconvenience for me if it is eliminated. I do not currently drive. The AT2 is the quickest bus to King St. from where I live. The AT5 takes longer and I prefer not to use the AT8 as the people riding that bus can be very rude, loud and unruly. I always feel safe on the AT2 because of the neighborhood it serves on Seminary Rd.

I hope you realize it is the ONLY bus operating on Seminary Rd. since the Metrobus changed their route a few years ago. I wonder how people will get to Immanuel Episcopal Church and the Beth El Hebrew Congregation. Many people who do not drive work at these places.

I really love the AT2. I hope you decide to keep the service. Even if you have to make the schedule a little less frequent please do not remove the AT2! Thank you.

Diana Nichols 540 N. Imboden St. #401 Alexandria, VA 22304

FROM: Jay Hallen Hello, I am writing to implore you to please spare the AT2 bus service. We depend on it to get to the Metro, and many of our local teenagers use it to get around town.

But beyond all of that, there's this: YOU JUST GAVE US A ROAD DIET ON SEMINARY. You very clearly signaled your desire to "get us out of our cars." You made our local traffic demonstrably worse. So how can you then turn around and remove our only public transport option? These two actions are completely at odds with each other. Please save the AT2. (Unlike the AT2X, people actually ride it). thank you, Jay Hallen 400 Skyhill Road

FROM: Lokie Harmond Regarding the new proposals to eliminate the AT2 route on Janney's lane.

There are several riders that utilize this route during peak hours. Eliminating this route will cause several individuals to drive to a stop or walk an excessive amount of distance just to catch a bus, which defeats the purpose of having transit in the area. If funding is an issue, I am sure most riders would be fine with increased fares in order to avoid an inconsiderable amount of inconvenience and also it makes more sense to reduce the amount of routes or just have service during peak hours rather than eliminating the route completely. During peak hours the bus is completely full, so it is inconceivable how the city came up with the notion that this route was not necessary.

Please consider the riders of this route, DASH is supposed to service the community not make it so the community can't utilize this service.

FROM: Steve Mitchell Dear TransitVision Officials,

Hi, I am Steve Mitchell, a long-time Alexandria resident, living on Key Drive in Seminary Hill.

I am a federal government employee working in downtown D.C., and three years ago committed to using public transportation for a variety of reasons. I have been generally satisfied with the service provided by the AT-2 line and am hoping to speak in favor of its retention (or at least partial retention during peak hours) at this evening's meeting. But in the event I am unable to make the meeting due to a busy work schedule I also wanted to submit views via email.

Discontinuation of AT-2 as planned would leave a very large swath of Seminary Hill Eastbound to King Street (as well as the Westbound return) entirely uncovered by existing bus service. I understand that this decision may have followed in part from the "ridership versus coverage" balance that the Dash Board of Directors addressed in mid-June, but I would suggest that circumstances have changed significantly from that time due in large part by the decision of the City Council to take the Seminary Road/Janney's Lane corridor down to one lane in favor of creating a dedicated bike path.

The net effect are policies at odds that now create a dilemma and hardship for AT-2 ridership. At the same time the city is seeking to reduce auto traffic along the Seminary/Janney's corridor, Dash is removing other viable options with the discontinuation of AT-2 service and placing more cars along that very corridor. I would argue that this change in circumstance merits a reconsideration of the balancing determinations made in June that resulted in the plan to discontinue AT-2 service. That reconsideration should be undertaken and, in my view, be decided in favor of the retention or at least partial retention of the AT-2 line, at least at peak commuting hours.

Thank you for the care and attention you have brought and I am sure will continue to bring to your examination of this matter. Steve Mitchell FROM: Melissa Siskind Good morning,

I write today to express my concerns about the proposal to eliminate the AT2 bus. I live on Fort Williams Parkway near Seminary Road. Almost every weekday, I ride the AT2 bus to get from my house to either the King Street Metro Station or the VRE/Amtrak station to commute into Washington, DC. I have relied on public transportation for more than a decade to get to work each day, and I would like to continue to do so going forward. But without the AT2 bus, this is just not possible.

The proposal to eliminate AT2 bus service has been a great source of worry for me over the last few weeks since it was announced. Simply put, I have no idea how I will get to work each day without access to public transportation. We have always been a one car family, and my husband needs that car to get to work. That means that if the AT2 bus is eliminated, we will not only have to buy a second car and pay for parking in DC, but I will have to deal with the daily stress of driving to and from the city.

Cutting off entire neighborhoods from access to public transportation is not in the best interests of the City of Alexandria. It will force more commuters into cars, causing unneeded congestion on the City's roadways. It may also deter people from moving into those unserved neighborhoods; I know I certainly would not have purchased my current home if there had not been a bus stop nearby to take me to the Metro.

I urge you to take the needs of all Alexandrians into consideration when deciding on what public transportation in the city will look like in the coming years.

Thank you,

Melissa Siskind

FROM: Carolyn Griglione 11.13.19

Dear Mr. Barna, Hope all is well. I thought it might be helpful if you would clarify any impact to those living in Arlandria who use DASH to get to the INOVA Hospital.

There may be none but it would be good to clarify this point.

I plan to be at this meeting this evening.

See you then.

Thanks, Carolyn FROM: LK Kubendran Team, I will be on travel starting this afternoon, and therefore, I can't make it to the meeting later this evening. The proposed DASH AT2 elimination has serious impact to me and my daughter. We live on Janneys Lane and use DASH AT2 to get to the King Street Metro to take Yellow Line for me to get to work and the Blue Line for our daughter to get to GWU. Sometimes, we walk to/from the Metro, but it gets hard in winter (hazardous sidewalks and not well lit areas along the way). At present, I don't own a car, and this change would also have monetary implications by forcing me get a vehicle to get to work. I would request that you reconsider the service elimination. Thank you. LK Kubendran 802 Janneys Ln, Alexandria, VA 22302

FROM: Maureen Brookbank This is an earnest request that the voice of citizens be listed to. That was not the case with the recent Seminary Road restructuring, with the local civic associations weighing in not to make the changes.

The AT2 bus needs to remain intact as the neighborhoods and local workers use it to get to the Metro and the hospital, etc.

I see the AT2X virtually empty so why is that route not under consideration?. That it is a separate contract is no excuse.

Lastly, is this a statement that we can bike but we can't ride the bus. The bike lanes are virtually unused. But people of all ages, economic status, and physical abilities do depend on having bus service.

Is this another done deal and citizen input is of no use? Citizens are keenly watching to see whether they will be listened to, or not.

From a concerned rider and Alexandria resident

FROM: DeeDee Labadie Dear Sirs, The AT2 bus route is the only public transportation available to the resident’s that live on the Janneys Lane / Seminary Road corridor. We use the bus to go to Old Town and to the King Street Metro Station. When my husband and I chose our home in Alexandria last year, access to the bus was one of the top things on our list in choosing the property. We wanted to move to a city that promoted less car usage and more public transportation. Public parking in Alexandria is expensive and scarce. And the traffic is very congested. Using the AT2 bus is by far the best option for us and also for the community to go to Old Town and to the metro station.

The DASH recommendation for the future transit of Alexandria is to remove the AT2 bus route and replace it with nothing. While this might be a business decision for DASH, it will profoundly impact the lives of the people who use this bus. I have attended their meetings and feel there is nothing the residents can say that will change their minds on this. They quote that there is not the same ridership of AT2 as other bus routes. Of course there isn’t! The Dash AT2 bus services single family residences, not apartments or commercial property. And acres of land on this route is the campus of a small theological seminary. But this bus is vitally important to the people who ride it.

In defense of the DASH positions, the survey conducted is quoted as the people want ridership. What they do not say is how the survey was worded to lead to a ridership model. When you ask people if they want the bus more often, of course the answer is yes. But if you ask people if they will give up their bus route so other people can catch their bus more often, the answer is a resounding NO!

In the DASH meetings I have attended, the transit vision presenters seem surprised that attendees are not happy to give up our bus so other riders that currently have buses can get their buses more often. You know…every 8 minutes instead of every 15 minutes. It’s obvious talking to the DASH presenters in these meetings is not going to get an open or honest hearing.

And so I am asking you for help to keep this vital service running for our community. The riders of AT2 that I have spoken to tell me that the city will not allow DASH to remove our bus. I hope they are right.

Thank you for your consideration.

DeeDee Labadie AT2 Rider

FROM: Janice Salas Hello, >> >> Discontinuing/reducing hours/less frequent stops and/or basically making bus service inconvenient or nonexistent for Seminary Road/Janneys Lane (the current AT2 Route) is a bad idea. This would be a disservice and harm a large area of Alexandria. My husband and I pick up the AT2 at the Janneys Lane & West Taylor Run Parkway stop. We bought our house in 2003 on Bryan Street precisely because it is convenient to a bus stop. I’m a court reporter and frequently have jobs in Old Town. I take the bus to those jobs because it is easier and less stressful than driving and trying to find parking in Old Town. A lot of my jobs end and/or begin midday. My husband uses the bus daily to get to the metro station for his job in DC. His job also is not 9 to 5 and he frequently uses the bus at various times during the day. We also take the bus to go to restaurants and enjoy Old Town. I have also taken the bus going west toward the hospital. Frankly, I would actually use the bus more if it ran MORE frequently. If you care about ALL citizens of Alexandria, you will not take away our bus. Unfortunately, it seems the decision has already been made, but I hope this is not the case. It’s good to make bus service more frequent in other areas of the city but there’s no need to leave a large portion of the city without service. Please leave AT2 alone! >> Sincerely, >> Janice Salas

FROM: Mary Sexton All,

I am unable to attend the meeting this evening and wanted to take a moment to request that you not eliminate the bus service on Seminary/Janney’s Lane. I use the AT2 to get back and forth from Old Town as well as from the metro. In keeping with local initiatives, we have gone down to one family car so to minimize our impact on the growing traffic as well as being mindful of the City’s safety vision and, as such, we use mass transit quite a bit. If you eliminate the route, where do you advise people to pick up bus service? While Duke Street, King Street and Braddock have robust service, they are distances unreachable for a commuter. When I am on the bus, there are always multiple stops requested along the ride so I know ridership is brisk. I’m confused as to why you would want to take commuter access away from a thriving residential neighborhood.

Please reconsider this bus elimination proposal for the sake of the many residents that use it.

Thank you, Mary Sexton

Mary Sexton, CFP® Family Wealth Advisor

FROM: Jill Vaniman Hello, I just became aware that the Dash 2 bus may be going away. I ask that you please reconsider this plan for two reasons. First, the City Council approved to change Seminary Road and the result includes pedestrian crosswalks along with pedestrian refuge Islands at the Dash 2 bus stops between N. Howard St. and Quaker Lane. The changes are absolutely wonderful. In addition to these improvements, the lane reduction should encourage others to take public transportation more. With these improvements, it simply makes no sense to now no longer have Dash 2 along that route.

Second, many people depend on this bus. For myself, I am no longer able to drive because of my vision. My husband and I bought our house because of the Dash Bus service and I ride the bus at various times of the day. Of course in the morning commute times, there are much more riders than during the day, but I have never gotten on an empty bus. I see people get on and off at the hospital either patients or employees, St Stephens, Beth El, Virginia Theological Seminary, and MacArthur Elementary School. If this bus goes away, it will make it very difficult for people to get to these locations.

Please reconsider keeping the Dash 2 bus service along Seminary Road and Janets Lane. Not only will the money spent on improving safety be wasted, but it will be a hardship for many.

Thank you, Jill Vaniman

FROM: Margaret Knuth I bought my house about 3 years ago for the proximity to the AT2. This allowed my husband and I to be a 1 car household (for the environment and to reduce local congestion). This will no longer be possible if the AT2 is not retained at least during peak hours.

While I'm generally supportive of much of the plan - I'm still not clear with the city gained by removing the AT2. That is, if they put it back for peak hours what currently in the plan would have to go? Would it increase wait times by 5 min. on one line, or would it cause an area of new growth to have to be removed? And this is all at the same time our world is being rocked by major seminary road changes that are supposed to push us to use cars less - but how can we if we no longer have a bus?

I look forward to attending the final board meeting and hope all input will be considered.

Maggie Knuth 1659 Francis Hammond Pkwy

FROM: Ellen Moody (handwritten note) I live with my daughter, Isobel, who is disabled. She is autistic and works full time as a librarian and cannot drive. She needs to take the AT2 to get to work every day and home every night. Please do not take this crucial bus from her. For her to walk to Duke Street is not safe because the streets are not set up for pedestrians. I drive to work but I use the AT2 to get to the Metro frequently. I notice during rush hours the bus are full. Off hours, people wait at bus stops during the week. Sincerely, Ellen Moody, 72 years old, 308 Cloverway Drive

FROM: Samantha Ahdoot Good morning, I am writing to express my concern about the reduced access along Janney's Lane and Seminary Road.

The citizens along this road recently had their car access reduced through change to single lane traffic. I supported this because it would inspire greater public transit and bike use.

However, now I see that bus access will also be eliminated. This will make it much harder to access points along this road, including McArthur School, Saint Stephens & Saint Agnes School, Beth El Synagogue and Episcopal High School. The citizens along this route can no longer be advised to take public transit as it will not exist!

I personally have used the AT2 for 15 years to access the sites above on a regular basis. I will end up needing to drive, which is now harder due to single lane traffic.

Bus service along this route for citizens should be clarified before AT2 elimination is determined.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, Samantha Ahdoot 104 West Walnut Street Alexandria, 22301

FROM: Liz Kane Hello, I am writing to request council's support for the AT2 line. the DASH ATV proposed to eliminate this line, which would eliminate all public transportation options for many of us on the Seminary/Janney's corridor. I am asking for council's support to 1) connect the ATV and broader road and city planning for our area, including for the Seminary Rd redesign and our congestion issues, and 2) if necessary to provide the additional $670K funding that would allow the AT2 to continue at least during the weekdays.

Many along this route depend upon this bus including: - Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) Students and their families, the vast majority of whom are low- income. - Employees at SSAS, VTS, EHS, Beth El Daycare and MacArther (largely low-income) who depend upon the bus to get to their employment, including those with disabilities that makes other transportation unavailable. - Commuters who take the AT2 to get to the metro and VRE - eliminating the bus would mean we would have to drive, adding congestion to already clogged streets at rush hour. - Students in the neighborhood who use the bus to get to ACPS - Parents at MacArther Elementary who take the bus

I am a commuter - I live on St. Stephens Rd and take the AT2 to the VRE into DC. I would not lose my job if I lost the bus, but it would make a huge impact on my life. I would need to drive, leaving early because of the traffic and spend less time with my two children, incur the cost of parking, add more congestion to the roads, and lose the time I spend on my commute working to sitting in a car thus extending my workday.

With more and more younger families coming into this area, we want them on the bus, and we want them to come to our area because of our transportation options. Especially anticipating Amazon arriving soon -we want those Amazon folks on the bus to the metro, not on our streets.

I understand that public policy decisions must be made on data, and that there are funding trade offs. However I think the DASH ATV needs much better data about our usage, especially given the Seminary Rd changes haven't even been fully implemented and we do not know how traffic and pedestrian habits will be impacted. I know already those of us who live at VTS have started to venture near the road a bit more now that its safer, and certainly have heard from those who want to access the bus stops at Ft. Williams and Beth El that they feel much safer doing so with crosswalks and different traffic patters (eg, slower cars without the ability for cars to veer around a car that is stopping for a pedestrian). Of course I know there are different opinions about Seminary Rd, but I think we can all agree that there are too many cars on Seminary already, and that decisions around this area should be made with a holistic/integrated city planning view.

Thank you for the work you do for our city and for listening to my input.

Best regards, Liz Kane

FROM: Dino Drudi There was a clear preponderance of support for "ridership" over "coverage" and I am among those preferring ridership, but the one route on which there was the most pushback in favor of coverage was the AT 3, 4, and 3-4, so indulge me to suggest some alternatives:

The AT 4 has hardly any ridership 'til Braddock Rd metro. You could terminate it at Braddock Rd. metro w/ little consequence since the AT 8 shares the same route from where the AT 4 starts to Braddock Rd metro and the AT 2, 3, and 5 go there by slightly different routes.

The AT 3 and 3-4 would gain ridership w/ coverage enhancements whereby they would always start at Hunting Point and would serve Shirlington outside rush hour. This might mean one bus couldn't make the entire route in an hour, but increased service (half hourly outside rush hour like the AT 9 all day) would address this problem. Aggressive advertising would be needed to drive ridership w/ the increased coverage, but leaving south Old Town without any weekend service is not desirable.

A better alternative might be to eliminate the AT 3-4 entirely, put the AT 4 on the AT 3 route through Old Town and cover the entire circuit in each direction (clockwise and counter-clockwise): AT 3 marqued Pentagon via Russell Rd. and return to Hunting Point, AT 4 Pentagon via Cameron Mills Rd. and return to Braddock Rd. at rush hour; AT 3 Park-Fairfax via Russell Rd. and Park-Fairfax via Cameron Mills Rd. at other times w/ destination changeover at Shirlington.

Dino Drudi

FROM: John Embrey As a long-time bus rider of the AT4 both south and northbound route, I would like to respectively share my observations and thoughts about the proposed changes in my commuting world.

Eliminating the option for AT4 southbound passengers, who before the shutdown were able to be dropped off/picked up in front of the Braddock Road metro station. I have read the reasons behind this decision and do not agree with it for a couple of reasons:

- For security reasons, I would not consider catching the bus (north or southbound) near the overpass bridge, even if it were moved away from the overpass and a well-lit shelter was built. The main reason being distance from the Metro station. In the event that a perpetrator tried to steal a purse, phone etc. or perhaps attack a bus rider waiting at the bus stop, they are very much alone and not within eyesight or earshot of a Metro station manager who could call for assistance. That is a major concern.

- Not everyone who rides the bus is in tip-top physical shape and free of things to carry. Some riders are heavily pregnant, sporting a temporary walking foot cast, loaded down with luggage, overweight, etc. Distance matters especially in situations such as these.

- Unsafe conditions for crossing the streets to get to the Metro Station. Despite the fact that there is a button to push to alert drivers of pedestrians, the frequency of having to cross the streets increases the chance of personal injury. I have personally experienced being in the middle of the crosswalk only to have a driver practically run over my toes because they "didn't see me." Each time I cross both roads I have to hope it's not the day someone is going to run me over. Having the Dash bus continue to the Metro station makes sense from a safety standpoint and from a reduction in traffic standpoint (each time the bus stops on E. Braddock Rd to pickup/let off passengers means traffic comes to a halt).

- The 3 minutes purported to be saved by having the buses bypass going to the Metro station is not worth the increased chance of personal injury by having to walk on a heavily travelled road, the burden it places on people who have physical limitations (that includes being loaded down with luggage), increased risk of personal injury by standing at a bus stop far from the Metro station and any assistance. An enormous amount of money has already been spent on the Metro Station; I recommend using the bus shelters already in place and not look to spend even more money by building additional shelters.

My other comment of note is the proposed elimination of the AT3-4 loop during non-peak hours between the Pentagon and Old Towne. I believe this is very unfair to people in the neighborhood who rely on the bus to take them to Old Town or into DC. Eliminating this service is not the answer. People who don't work a standard 9-5 job should not be completely ignored or forgotten. My personal concern is what happens when the government is closed and the AT3-4 loop I would have normally taken has been eliminated. Then what are my options? It's a real concern.

As a citizen of the City and a taxpayer, my view is that the cost of living is going up and the amenities/standards are going down: the elimination of the basic service of taking the bus to the Metro station and the elimination of bus transportation during the day. When living in a metropolitan area and paying the high rate of taxes that we pay, one assumes that basic public transportation services will be made available. I expect decent public schools, clean water, decent roads, trash collection and a city that is well maintained. A city council that listens and respects the wishes of the people of the city would also be refreshing.

Lastly, if road maintenance is a part of Transit Vision, could someone please get our roads resurfaced? West Braddock Road is a disaster and so are some of the streets on the outskirts of Old Town. Who is in charge and why aren't they doing their job??

Thank you for reading this rather long letter, but I sincerely hope that perhaps it will draw some attention to the fact that some of the proposed changes regarding the Dash bus schedule and operation warrant some re-thinking. I am not interested in using my evening hours after a long day at work to attend meetings. Please read my letter and you will have my viewpoint about what I want to see as a citizen of our city. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mary Embrey 515 Fontaine Street Alexandria, VA

FROM: Rev Samuel Nixon Jr

This is to express my discontent with the possible elimination of the AT5 Dash Bus Line. It has been a help in being able to ride to and from my regular destinations at Duke and Alfred Streets, and Duke and Washington Streets, especially when carrying bags. On behalf of myself and a number of others who use this path regularly, we request that you maintain the routing of the AT5 Bus Line.

Strongly requested,

Rev Samuel Nixon Jr. Alexandria Resident

FROM: Tamara Smith Good morning, as a long term DASH Rider since 1983, I am contacting you to request that you not eliminate the AT5 Bus Service on Duke Street in Old Town. I have worked at Alfred Street Baptist Church since 1996. I do not drive and take the DASH bus to and from work daily. I have recently had health issues that make the possibility of having to walk to King Street to get a bus a daunting prospect. I have osteoarthritis in both of my knees as well as occasional shortness of breath. I wrote an e-mail years ago protesting against the elimination of the AT8 on Duke Street for similar reasons and mentioned the fact that during inclement weather, the residents of Old Town are not very good about removing ice and snow in front of their homes. This make for a hazardous walk from King Street to 331 S. Patrick Street, one of the administrative offices of the church.

The vision of transit for Alexandria should be about expanding services and not taking them away.

Respectfully,

Tamara Smith Foxchase Resident DASH Rider since 1983

FROM: Bob Hartt Hello Steve - As follow-up to the phone request for assistance I left you today - as a blind attendee of some of the stakeholder group meetings, I would appreciate your help with two items: 1. For those in the group I help represent, the Greater Alexandria Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind, is there an individual on city staff they can call to get a verbal description of the changes to the bus service proposed for their neighborhoods? 2. I am having difficulty understanding what would happen to the current bus service that comes closest to my home by the corner of Marlboro Drive along Braddock Road and close to North Early Street where both the AT5 and 28A currently run. The descriptive text on your web site for the general area says: "DASH AT-5 & AT-6 replaced by "N4". The new "N4" route would consolidate the two existing DASH routes on King Street into one high frequency route running every 10 minutes during peaks and every 15 minutes at all other times. The route would run from Old Town toSkyline City via the King Street Metro, Park Center, and NVCC-Alexandria, ..." I would like to know if the new N4, like the current AT-5, would still go down North Early and by the stop at Marlboro Drive? Also, would the 28A still stop on Braddock Road in back of the Bradley shopping center? Thank you, Bob Hartt

FROM: Tim Walker Weekend service on AT7 please and increase service during rush hour

FROM: Marlo Cross-Durrant To Whom It May Concern, In regards to the transit Vision Plan for Eisenhower/Carlyle I would like to express my serious concern of the potential of buses running down John Carlyle Street.

As a resident of Carlyle (specifically, my residence is located on John Carlyle Street), I want to express my concern about the possibility of the expanded/new DASH bus route running down John Carlyle Street in the near future.

Specifically the following concerns:

1) John Carlyle Street is narrow with slow moving traffic and cars parked on each side of the road, with many pedestrians including children from nearby preschools. There are no stoplights and pedestrians rely on traffic to stop quickly. Concerns over buses stopping/starting and the increased noise and air pollution this will create is worrying for myself and my young children.

2) The circle around John Carlyle Square would be paralyzed through increased traffic starting and stopping as pedestrians cross the street. Bus traffic would be extremely dangerous for pedestrians around this circle. Inside John Carlyle Square is a park with children and people running/playing which is also extremely dangerous for bus traffic.

The much better alternative as noted in the Vision Plan for Eisenhower East/Carlyle is having the buses use Holland Lane for the following reasons:

1) Holland Lane is four lanes and therefore much larger than the narrow John Carlyle Street.

2) It would have little to no impact upon residents as the apartment buildings on Holland Land are set back from the road, whereas the townhouses and residences on John Carlyle are directly on the street.

3) Holland Lane and has several traffic lights which will make it much less dangerous for pedestrians. It also has the benefit of a circle connecting it to Eisenhower Avenue rather than a bus having to take a left turn at a stoplight at John Carlyle Street.

As residents of John Carlyle Street, we wanted to highlight our serious concerns and hope that you take this into the greatest of considerations.

Best, Marlo Cross-Durrant

FROM: David Rollins This is a very important route (Route not identified, no response to follow up – MB) for people who don’t drive into the city. It is also used by the tourists who visit old town. It’s too far for some of us with disabilities to walk and too expensive for us to use a cab or Uber like services. I have been a resident of this area since 1973 and i am excitedly looking forward to the city being accessible. Thank you for your consideration. David Rollins

FROM: Richard Liebhaber Mr. Barna,

As I had wanted to bring this matter up separately, I am sending you this email apart from my prior one.

I mentioned to you that we also have some feelings we would like to share about the bus service along King Street in Old Town. As DASH is working on a re-design of the system, now would be the ideal time to raise those concerns for discussion. Having owned property in Old Town since 2002, we’ve had a fair bit of time to ponder the subject, but, based on our interactions with City Hall, we always felt our comments would not bear fruit. Hopefully, this will at least spark a meaningful dialog about bus service along King Street from the King Street metro station to the river.

King Street is, arguably, Alexandria’s “Crown Jewel”; it is the heart of Old Town, it figures prominently in Alexandria’s unique cache, and it is probably the most common area that Alexandrians and visitors alike associate with Alexandria. It is what occupies someone’s mind when they first think of this City. There is a mix of dining establishments and retail shopping that is highly desirable and very hard to replicate. We are concerned, however, about how DASH buses, the Trolley and other vehicular traffic (in particular semis, trash trucks and other large, noisy vehicles) diminish someone’s King Street “experience.” Unfortunately, in our opinion, the experience is not what it should be and could be substantially improved.

For example, dining outside is a welcome alternative during the few months that weather permits here. However, it is far from pleasant or relaxing when one has a bus or trolley stopping to pick up or disgorge passengers less than 10’ away from their table. It’s noisy (engines, air brakes, kneeling air suspensions, road imperfections like steel plates, etc.) and dirty (dust and debris are constantly being kicked up).

The street itself isn’t wide enough to support parking on both sides (in most places) along with buses passing in both directions. And, when a bus or trolley stops to pick up passengers, it generally causes all traffic to halt to wait for it, as there’s no way to get around. Frequently, I observe buses and trolleys stopped on green lights, which means that traffic becomes ground down to a standstill, because red lights are frequent. A red light also means a bus stops and idles mere feet away from diners, pedestrians and pets. I have not taken db readings, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they surpass 100.

It’s our opinion that everyone who intends to vote on this proposal should spend some time on King Street. We would recommend doing it at three times throughout the day (perhaps 7-8am at or near Misha’s, noon-1pm at or near Vermilion and 5-6pm at or near Magnolia on King...or equivalent locations) to experience it for themselves. If King Street is at all important to the City and our economic prosperity, it should be improved however and wherever possible. If the City wants people to come here, spend money, enjoy it and have good things to say about their visit, we think it’s appropriate to consider taking large, noisy vehicles (such as buses, trolleys, semis and foul-smelling trash trucks) off King Street altogether. We’d strongly urge prohibiting them from using King Street at all times of day and direct them to use Prince and Cameron for Eastbound/Westbound movement, instead. Yes, this will move the burdens elsewhere, but if the City is serious about a fresh look at the system, King Street ought to always be a priority and would be a good place to make a big difference. We feel this will improve not only the experience but also safety along King Street.

We realize that our comments go beyond the scope of your proposal, but it’s important to view the experience as a whole, and it doesn’t matter where the seed is planted, as long as the idea takes root. So, maybe this is that opportunity. Thank you, again, for your attention to and consideration of these suggestions.

Best Regards,

Richard Liebhaber President Carlyle City Residences Homeowners Association

FROM: Eleonor Quigley

Good afternoon,

I am a resident of Old Town North. I appreciate that considerable work has been done on the future of transit for Alexandria. I have two requests: 1. Please ensure that both Montgomery Street and Madison Street are maintained 1-way streets. Congestion, deliveries, and parking mandate this. The map for the Old Town Circulator appears to show Montgomery as 2-way. This is not ok with me and not helpful to Old Town North. 2. Please write clear, enforceable regulations/ordinances governing the use of scooters. I have been startled and concerned by scooters moving at high rates of speed on our sidewalks. I have seen an adult with a small child riding the same scooter, both without helmets. These present safety problems for scooter riders and pedestrians. Finally, the way the scooters are left on sidewalks, lawns, street corners, etc., make them tripping hazards and unsightly. I would appreciate feedback on these requests. Thanks for considering my thoughts.

BTW, the email address for comments on the Transit Vision that is listed on the Alexandria website is not currently working. Please forward my message to the appropriate staff. Thank you.

Eleanor F. Quigley 400 Madison St. Alexandria 22314

FROM: Ian Arthur Maxey I accessed the page with the information on the proposed transit visions; and began with the maps; however, on most of them, I cannot distinguish between the symbols designating AT [Dash] routes; and those for WMATA bus routes. Please improve that aspect. Until then, I shall look at how the changes may affect specific neighborhoods; as well as other information proveded

FROM: Victoria Heckler (Facebook) Please don't remove the S Pickett St stops

FROM: Darren Dutton Your website provides the following link to take the survey: http://dashbus.com/TransitVision However this link does not take you to the survey, instead it takes you this link, which is just a continual loop to the same page: https://www.alexandriava.gov/tes/default.aspx?id=104193

I would like to take the survey. However, my two primary concerns are: 1) FIX the TERRIBLE roads in Carlyle area before you implement a plan to increase traffic with heavy vehicles like buses and trolleys. The roads are a hazard with all the potholes, cracks, and crevices, particularly for cyclists that are trying to reduce the overall impact of traffic. Given the amount of taxes we pay for the privilege of living in Alexandria the condition of the roads is PATHETIC! 2) “New “N1” route replaces AT-7 between Van Dorn Metro and King Street Metro. New “N1” would provide service every 15 minutes during weekday peaks and every 30 minutes at all other times, including evenings and weekends. Route would operate on Eisenhower Avenue and connect to King Street Metro via John Carlyle Street or Holland Street to provide transit access for new high- density developments south of Eisenhower Avenue.” If this change is to be implemented it is strongly recommended that Holland Street be used and not John Carlyle Street. John Carlyle Street already has enough traffic and congestion, especially during peak hours. Having large vehicles regularly running on this street would make matters worse, particularly with traffic back-ups at the Duke Street intersection. Holland Street would provide better options for loading/unloading passengers at stops as opposed to John Carlyle Street where this is street parking on both sides of the street.

Thanks for your consideration.